Unravel
by H8trzgonnah8te
Summary: Clementine slowly tries to rebuild her life, determined to escape from what happened at Howe's. But it is never that easy to escape from such a traumatic experience. Sequel to If Only They Knew. Self-Harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1 to Unravel. Thanks to gaara king of the sand and legoryan4579 for ideas._**

* * *

 _ **Rockabye Baby on the Treetop**_

Her legs were unsteady as Luke placed her down. She wanted to protest, to ask him to hold her a little longer, but she knew they had to get moving.

Luke handed her a weapon while Nick whined about how they would "Never make it through this."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You kidding me? If Clem can handle it, you can."

"Shit." Kenny swore, wide eyed. "I thought they were coming from the south."

"They did." Rebecca said, "Looks like we're in the eye of it now."

"Fuck…" Mike mumbled. "This is fucked…"

"You guys better hurry up and get to smearing if you wanna live. Or you can die here… doesn't matter to me." Jane spoke.

"Oh…God…" Rebecca whispered.

"Do it quick. We need to get covered before the rest of them get close or we're fucked." Jane ordered.

"This isn't going to work…" Rebecca mumbled as AJ whimpered a bit.

 _ **When the wind blows the cradle will rock**_

Sarah shuddered as her father covered her in the blood from the walkers.

Clementine had complained that the smell was making her sick.

Jane told the girl to suck it up and get covered.

Clementine tried not to complain anymore, but she was getting nauseous from the smell of the blood.

Carlos offered to cover her back, she flinched away from him.

Luke then tried, but she wouldn't let him either so Jane took over the job of making sure the girl was covered. Fed up with the child's whines and complaints, she snapped at the little girl to "Shut up."

 _ **When the bough breaks the cradle will fall**_

The stench of blood was too strong and before she knew it, Clementine had vomited.

Everyone was panicking, but tried to stay as quiet as they could while watching the girl with looks of concern.

The girl finally stops retching and Sarah asked in a worried voice, "Are you okay?"

"Fine…" Clementine croaked. The child squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will her head to stop spinning.

Clementine could suddenly feel Sarah tugging her forward, but she had become too disoriented to know what was going on.

Sarah continued to tug her friend forward, they'd be safe as long as they stayed near her dad. She just had to stay calm.

 _ **And down will come baby, cradle and all**_

All the noise had Clementine feeling as if she was going crazy. She wished the walkers would shut up as she was starting to get a headache.

Bullets shot through the air and suddenly one flew past her, very close, too close. It hit Carlos in the shoulder and the man groaned.

Sarah let out a shout, "Dad!"

"I-It's okay, Sarah." Carlos hushed her, clutching his shoulder.

Clementine noticed that Sarah's shouting had drawn attention of a walker, that is approaching Carlos, but before it can bite him, it falls lifeless to the ground.

"Are you guys okay?" Clementine jumped startled as she noticed Sarita was now behind them.

 _ **Rockabye baby….**_

Shel and Becca ran outside, looking terrified.

Bonnie told them to get covered.

They looked confused for a moment before quickly catching on.

They quickly started to cover themselves in blood as well before catching up to the group, "I was worried you guys had left us." Shel whispered worriedly. "I'm glad you didn't."

 _ **On the treetop**_

Sarita had a hand on the Clementine's shoulder and was guiding her forward. Clementine felt herself getting dizzy. All the noise was making her head pound and the smell was making her queasy.

"It's okay, Clem." Sarita whispered to the child, sensing her uncomfortableness.

Clementine couldn't remember the last time anything was ever "okay".

She didn't respond to Sarita's soothing voice. She just tried to continue walking.

She stumbled forward a bit, hoping her legs wouldn't give out on her.

Sarita flashes the girl a look of concern, making sure to stay close to her in case the child falls.

 _ **When the wind blows….**_

Her legs are getting heavy and becoming inert. Her body is trembling from exhaustion. She can feel herself swaying with every step she takes.

Sarita notices and asks if the child is okay.

The girl feels like she's going to pass out. She doesn't know what's wrong with her.

"I'm fine." The child mutters. Except she's not fine.

 _ **The cradle will rock**_

Sarita slows down with Clementine, noting how ill the girl seems.

Carlos and Sarah continue forward. Sarah is whimpering while Carlos is clutching his injured shoulder, both desperate to get out of the herd as fast as possible.

Clementine looks around and realizes through her dazed state that the group is slowly getting separated. Half of the group has already gotten split up.

She also picks up on how nervous everyone that is still in her line of vision is acting.

She's starting to wonder if the herd was a bad idea.

 _ **When the bough breaks….**_

Clementine can see Becca clutching to Shel. She almost wants to laugh at the look of fear on the older girl's face. However, she doesn't have enough strength to focus on them. In fact, she can't focus on anything for too long.

Her vision is starting to blur, and everything is spinning. She suddenly doesn't remember what's going on.

All she can think of is sleep. She just wants to lay down and take a nap.

 _ **The cradle will fall**_

Clementine is snapped back into reality when Nick takes a gunshot to the neck and yells out in pain. His yelling causes the walkers to take notice of him and two of them sink their teeth into his shoulder and neck before he can react.

Luke cries out his friend's name, but is unable to help him. He's quickly pulled forward by Vince, despite his struggling to try to get to his fallen friend's side.

Clementine sees the scene through her foggy vision and finds herself feeling sick once again.

She vomits for a second time.

 _ **And down will come baby…**_

Tears drip down her face, falling off her chin.

Clementine wants to blame the water falling from her eyes on her vomiting, but she is unable stop them from falling, long after she stops throwing up.

She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe she was sad over her friend's death, maybe she was frustrated with her weakness, maybe she was terrified of the unknown. She decided it was a combination of all three.

 _ **Cradle and all.**_

Clementine was so exhausted and weak she could barely keep her eyes open.

Her heartbeat is in her ears, drowning out all other noise, including Sarita's concerned voice asking if she's okay.

Her breathing has become shorter, the muscles in her arms and legs are stiff. She wonders if she's dying.

The child collapses to the cold ground. She trembles, too tired to move, she turns her head away from the mess she had made and let her eyes flutter shut.

 _ **And down will come baby…**_

 _She's dead..._

Was the first thing Sarita thought when she saw the child fall.

She quickly made her way to the girl, and looked her over.

Clementine hadn't been bit, not a far as she could tell.

"Clementine?" she called, her heart in her throat.

There was no response.

Sarita turned the girl onto her back and tapped the child's cheek.

Clementine gave no reaction, not even a flicker of her eyelids.

Sarita lowered her head by the girl's mouth, and was relieved to hear small breaths.

Sarita is so distracted by Clementine, that she doesn't notice the walker creeping up behind until it grabs her.

 _ **Cradle and all.**_

Sarita struggles to get the walker off of her, but it's not budging.

She finally manages to kick the walker away, knowing if it bites her, little Clementine will be next.

The walker recovers from her kick and once again starts to lumber after her. However, Sarita finds herself being saved by another woman.

"What's wrong with her?" The woman motioned to Clementine.

"She passed out." Sarita said.

"Can you get her up?" The woman questioned.

"I'm trying." Sarita replied.

"We can't stay here…" The woman looked around. "Shit… Becca?" She called, "Becca, where are you?"

"Who's Becca?" Sarita asked.

"My sister. I'm Shel…" Shel quickly shook her head, realizing now wasn't the time for introductions. "We gotta get her up and-" She was cut off as she noticed the walkers were becoming curious with them.

Sarita notices this as well and scooped the unconscious child up in her arms.

The two women started to make their way through the pack of walkers with the intent on meeting up with the others.

Unknowingly to her, Sarita was walking too closely to the walkers. And she stumbled straight into a walker. The walker made a grab for Clementine, and Sarita quickly back away right into another walker who had come up behind her.

Before its teeth could sink into Sarita's flesh, Shel had pushed it away. The walker staggered back slightly, but had managed to grab hold of Shel's arm. The woman had no time to react as the walker bit her.

Shel shrieked in pain and yanked herself free. Blood was dripping from her arm as the woman gasp in shock, both her and Sarita staring in disbelief at her arm.

"Shel!" Becca ran over to see her sister. Her eyes fell on her sister's bloodied arm, and she felt her heart drop.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping me out.**_

* * *

Becca felt sick as she looked to her older sister, "S-Shel…"

"We don't have time." Shel quickly said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We got to get out of here."

Sarita adjusted Clementine in her arms so she held a better grip on the child.

They started moving forward through the herd.

Shel was trying not to panic, but she was scared. She was bit. A bite meant death. Everyone knew that by now.

She swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry. She just had to focus on getting Becca to safety. Luke and the others would take care of her, she knew that. Once Becca was safe, she would accept her fate, whatever it be.

As they continued to walk they realized the walkers were clumping together.

"What do we do?" Sarita asked frantically.

"Calm down." Shel hissed. "Try to find an opening."

They waited a moment before spotting an area where the walkers were thinning out.

"Let's move." Shel ordered, hand still on Becca's shoulder.

Becca admire her sister a lot in that moment. She was surprised how Shel took charge and was able to lead them from the herd.

They walked a while, making sure they couldn't see anymore walkers close by.

"I think we're okay." Sarita said.

"I… I think so too." Shel agreed.

"Are you okay?" Sarita asked, "We can take a break if you want."

"No… I'm fine…" Shel huffed. "How's the kid?" She motioned toward Clementine.

"I don't know." Sarita answered honestly. She was a bit nervous that Clementine was going to stop breathing, then turn in her arms.

"Where's the meeting spot?" Shel asked.

"They said some place called Parker's Run." Sarita replied.

"Alright." Shel nodded. "I know where it is."

"Are you sure you don't need a break?" Sarita questioned.

"Do you?" Shel asked back.

"No… She's light enough for now." Sarita replied.

"Well, then we'll keep going." Shel said.

Sarita sent her a worried look.

"She said to keep moving, so stop asking." Becca snapped.

Sarita was surprised, but said nothing.

* * *

They walked for an hour, or what seemed like an hour. It was dark and unfamiliar so they stayed careful. Clementine hadn't stirred at all and that worried both Shel and Sarita.

By the time they hit three hours, Shel finally asked them to take a short break. They sat for about twenty minutes.

Sarita checking Clementine's breathing every few minutes. She desperately wanted to clean the child up, as the smell was making her even more paranoid that little Clementine was actually becoming a walker.

"Are you okay?" Shel asked.

"I'm fine." Sarita reassured her. "I should be asking you that."

"I'm good for now." Shel sighed. "Becca, you alright?"

"Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself." Becca grumbled.

"I can't help but worry about you. You're my sister." She replied.

Becca opted to stay silent.

* * *

They continued to walk for a few more hours. By now the sun had risen, but it didn't make things easier for them.

Sarita was worried, Clementine was unresponsive, and Shel was slowly starting to look ill.

Becca continued to march on telling her sister over and over again to "keep moving"

"Becca… We need to stop." Shel said. "Just for a while."

Becca fought back a sigh and agreed.

They settled down on a large log. Becca started pacing back and forth.

"Becca, sit down… Please." Shel ordered.

The girl sighed again, but did as her sister asked.

Becca looked to her sister. She was unable to hide her shock at seeing how pale and tired Shel looked. "Are you okay?" Becca asked.

"I'm fine, Becca." Shel said.

Becca shot her a glare, "Don't lie."

"I'm not…" Shel said. "Don't worry about me."

Shel looked ill and washed out.

"You look like crap." Becca stated.

Shel sighed. Of course she looked ill. She felt ill.

She wondered how bad she looked, but without a mirror there was no way of discovering.

Sarita placed a hand on the woman's forehead, "You're warm."

"Don't worry about me… Take care of the little one." Shel said.

They sat for a while longer before Shel decided they should get a move on again. She struggled to stand for a moment and Becca helped her up.

"Can you walk?" Sarita asked.

"Yeah… I'm not tapped out yet." Shel said. "We're not too far now." Shel looked to Clementine, "I can't believe Carver…" She trailed off, "Screw him. I hope he burns in hell."

Sarita was a bit taken back, but she took one glance at little Clementine's face before saying "Me too."

"Carver's dead." Becca spat. "Why does it even matter?"

"He raped her, Becca." Shel said.

"So? She shouldn't have let him." Becca replied.

"You don't let yourself get raped." Shel said. "It's forced. It can happen to anyone, and God forbid it ever happens to you."

"I'm not stupid." Becca said.

"Becca, just stop." Shel said.

Becca sighed, "I'm sorry."

"She doesn't deserve to be treated like that." Shel said. "I want you to apologize to her."

"But she called me a bitch!" Becca replied.

"You start it, Becca." Shel said, "She's been through a lot. Just… try to get along with her."

Becca looked to her older sister worriedly. It seemed like it was taking a lot from her just to speak.

"Fine…" Becca sighed.

"Thank you." Shel sighed.

They fell silent once again and they continued walking and soon enough they had reached the meeting spot.

"Son of a bitch…" Mike spoke, "You made it!"

"Yeah…" Shel was panting at this point. "Where's Carlos?"

"He's over there with Sarah." Bonnie answered.

"Sarita!" Kenny called, "Thank God, you're okay." He looked to the girl in her arms. "Clem… What happened?"

"I don't know…" Sarita said. "She just passed out.

"Is she bit?" Kenny questioned, heart pounding.

"No." Sarita shook her head.

"Take her to get looked at by Carlos." Shel ordered.

Sarita nodded. Kenny offered to take the child. Sarita passed the girl over and the two walked over to Carlos.

"What about you?" Becca asked. "Shouldn't you ask the doctor to look at you."

"Becca… I don't have much time left." Shel said.

"What are you talking about?" Becca asked.

"I'm bit, Becca." Shel stressed. "You know that."

Becca started shaking her head, "That doesn't matter. You're not like the others."

"You're b-bit?" Bonnie asked, face paling.

Shel gave a tiny nod, "Yeah."

"Jesus." Mike mumbled.

"Stop! She's fine." Becca claimed. "You're fine."

Shel shook her head, "I'm not."

"Shut up." Becca growled.

"You're safe." Shel said.

"Shut up." Becca snapped.

Shel continued, "They'll take good care of you."

"Stop it!" Becca yelled.

"I love you, Becca." Shel said.

"I hate you!" Becca cried, before bursting into tears and hugging her sister. "You can't leave me!"

"I'm sorry…" Shel said.

"What do you want to do?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm going to stay with her." Shel said, "Until my times up… Take care of her."

"I will." Bonnie said.

* * *

"How is she?" Kenny asked for the fourth time.

"I'll know as soon as I finish looking her over." Carlos sighed, "Her breathing seems normal, heartrate is fine. I'm assuming she's just exhausted."

Clementine still hadn't reacted to anything, but there was no a bite or a scratch on her.

"We'll have to wait until she wakes up." Carlos said.

* * *

Becca stayed with her sister, head against her shoulder. She didn't know how much time had passed but she didn't care.

Shel was getting sicker and sicker.

Eventually they ended up sitting in the grass, Shel's head resting in Becca's lap.

They talked about they're pass memories, family trips, and other things.

"Remember that time we went to the amusement park... and you were finally tall enough to ride? I took you on your first roller coaster and you got so sick, you threw up everywhere." Shel's voice was barely above a whisper.

Becca chuckled. "I remember that. You carried me on your back the rest of the day."

"Yeah. And…" Shel suddenly trailed off.

Becca looked down at her, "Shel?"

There was no response.

"Shel?" She gave her a shake, but nothing happened.

Becca continued to try to shake her sister, but it didn't wake her. Her attempts were completely useless.

"Shel!" Becca cried desperately.

She started calling her name over and over, but it did nothing. No answer came from her older sister.

Becca reached down to grasp her sister's face, when Shel's eyes suddenly snapped open, her hand snaked out to grab Becca's shoulder.

In that moment, Becca went completely still. She felt dazed, disembodied almost.

Shel's grasp tightened to a point where it was starting to hurt. And Becca let out a scream.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping me out.**_

* * *

Becca tried to pull away, but her sister's grip was stronger than she remembered.

"Shel... Y-You're hurting me." She said.

Her sister gave no response.

"I said you're hurting me!" Becca snapped. She managed to yank away, shoving her sister to the ground.

Becca quickly stood, she hadn't realized she pushed her that hard. "I'm sorry, Shel... You were hurting-"

She stopped as Shel looked at her and let out a snarl.

"S-Shel?" Becca froze in fear, that thing was not her sister.

"Becca! Get away from her!" Bonnie shouted.

Becca didn't move. She couldn't, her body wasn't responding.

Just then Shel moved towards Becca, growling and snarling. But Shel didn't get close, a gunshot rang out.

Time seemed to slow down as Shel fell forward onto the dusty ground.

Becca watched in horror, trembling as her only family member laid unmoving.

She crumbled to her knees beside her sister's form.

"S-Shel..." She called, tears streaming down her face. "Shel, get up... Please..."

It was no good. Shel was gone.

She scrambled away as blood oozed from the open bullet wound in her sister's head. "You killed her... You killed her..." She started chanting over and over again, tearing falling as her body trembled. "You killed her..."

After a few moments she raised her head and aghast, she turned to see Jane holstering her gun.

"You killed her!" Becca screamed. "You killed her! You killed her!"

"I-"

Before Jane could even finished her sentence, Becca was lunging at her, looking as if ready to rip her to shreds.

"You killed my sister!" Becca snapped.

Becca was hysterical, screaming at the woman.

She tried to hit the woman, but Jane blocked her hand.

Becca tried again to punch her, but Jane grabbed her arm, restraining her. "Let me go...now!" She half yelled, half cried.

"Not until you calm down." Jane replied.

Becca struggled for a moment, but it was no use.

"Becca, calm down before you hurt yourself." That was Rebecca's voice, her and Jane must've just arrived together.

"Yeah, Becca…" Russell, she assumed he was with them as well. "Just calm down for a second.

Becca ignored the two and continued to struggle, but she wasn't getting free.

Finally, she stopped and Jane released her.

Becca shot her a glare.

"Becca, I'm so sorry." Bonnie approached the teen and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This is that girl's fault." Becca said.

"Who?" Bonnie asked.

"Clementine!" Becca spat. "Carver's little toy."

"Don't call her that." Bonnie said. She couldn't help, but feel terrible at the mention of Carver's name.

"That what she was though." Becca replied. "Just a toy for him to play with. She should've got bit, not Shel."

"You don't know the story." Rebecca cut in. "Just stop."

"I don't need to." Becca said.

"Becca-" Bonnie couldn't say anything else before Becca jerked away and stormed off.

"Probably best to let her be alone for a while." Jane suggested.

Bonnie nodded.

Mike approached her, "That kid going to be okay?"

"She just lost her sister, Mike… She needs some time." Bonnie said.

Mike nodded in response.

Rebecca looked worried. "How did Shel get bit?"

"I'm not sure." Bonnie let out a sigh, "We should bury her." She motioned to Shel's body.

Jane shrugged. "If that's what you want."

"Yeah…" Bonnie said. "I'm going to make sure that's what Becca wants."

Jane nodded.

Bonnie quickly left, heading in the direction the Becca ran off.

* * *

"How long until she wakes up?" Kenny demanded, looking to Clementine.

"Hard to tell…" Carlos said. "Hopefully soon, but she could use the rest."

"Dad…" Sarah called, wearing a concerned look.

"Yes, Sarah?" Carlos asked.

"Is Becca going to be okay?" Sarah asked worriedly. They had heard the commotion that had went on moments ago.

Carlos hesitated before speaking, "She'll be fine, sweetie."

"I hope so…" Sarah said. Sure Becca wasn't the nicest, but Sarah couldn't imagine what she'd do if she lost her father.

"We need a plan…" Kenny said. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, for now we have to wait for the rest of the group to arrive, then we'll figure it out." Carlos said.

"We can't wait for long. We have a baby to worry about and Clementine's not looking so hot." Kenny said. "We need to figure something out. I say we go to Wellington."

"And where exactly is Wellington?" Carlos asked.

"We keep heading north and we're bound to find it." Kenny shrugged.

Carlos sighed, "We'll discuss it when everyone gets here."

"That better be soon then." Kenny replied.

Carlos had to agree. He hoped everyone would make it out alright.

* * *

It took Bonnie some time to find Becca, but eventually she found the girl, sitting alone in the museum.

"Hey..." She took a seat beside the girl. "I came to check on you."

"Oh..." Becca responded. Her face looked exhausted and red. Bonnie could tell she had been crying.

"Yeah," Bonnie mumbled. "Are you okay?"

"Just great." Becca scoffed. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"I'm worried about you." Bonnie said.

"Sure you are." Becca said sarcastically "Why don't you go take care of Clementine."

"Clementine's with Kenny…" Bonnie respond. "I didn't want you to be alone…"

"Well, I want to be alone!" Becca snapped.

"Are you sure about that?" Bonnie asked.

Becca was quiet for a moment before sniffing, "N-No…"

Bonnie placed a comforting hand on the teen's back. "I'm here for you, Becca."

Becca hesitated, then flung herself into Bonnie's arms, teary-eyed. "Why Shel? Why'd she have to leave me too?"

"I'm so sorry, Becca…" Bonnie said, wrapping her arms around the teen. "I'm so sorry..."

* * *

Luke felt numb. He had been force into sex with a child, he just lost his best friend, and his entire group was separated, all within a few hours, who knew if any of them actually made it out alive.

"Luke, you have to work with us." Vince sighed. "Do you know where you're going?"

Luke said nothing in return.

Vince and Wyatt exchanged glances.

"Where's the meeting place?" Wyatt tried, but still got only silence in response.

Vince sighed. Luke had been this way for a while. He seemed lost in his thoughts. He wondered if something had happened, something other than his friend's death to put him in this state.

"Luke?" Wyatt called again.

"It's not working man." Vince said.

"What do we do?" Wyatt asked.

"We just have to assume he knows where he's going." Vince said.

Wyatt nodded. The trio kept walking, Wyatt and Vince both unsure where Luke was leading them.

* * *

"Let's get back to the others." Bonnie offered Becca her hand, helping the girl up. "They're probably worried."

"Okay…" Becca nodded, accepting the help.

"We're going to bury her…" Bonnie said. "If that's what you want..."

"If you can…" Becca said.

"Okay, sweetie." Bonnie said. The two made their way back down to where the others were waiting.

Shel hadn't been moved. Becca couldn't bring herself to look at her sister's body.

"Mike, Russell," Bonnie called, "Mind helping me out? We're going to bury Shel…"

They both gave a nod and went to help.

"Museum, probably has some shovels." Mike said.

"Mind taking a look?" Bonnie asked.

Mike agreed and he and Russell went to search for some shovels.

Becca went to sit beside the statue, glancing over to where Clementine was laid. She felt nothing but hate for that little girl. Everything was fine until she showed up. It was all her fault, that girl had killed her sister, and Becca would never forgive her for that.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Burying her sister was a difficult task. She felt her heart literally tearing in two. Becca choked back sobs, not wanting anyone to see her cry. However, she couldn't keep herself from crying. She hated it, she felt like a helpless little child.

Once the job was done, she wanted nothing more than to be alone and the group agreed to let her sit by herself for a while.

* * *

Vince and Wyatt were confused. They had been walking for so long, it seemed as if they were going in circles. When Luke suddenly stopped walking they did so as well. More confused than before, they glanced around. It wasn't long before they caught sight of other group members.

Luke strode forward, Vince and Wyatt following him.

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You made it!" She said approaching them.

"Yeah." Wyatt sighed. "Luckily."

"Where's Clem?" Luke suddenly asked.

"Carlos is taking a look at her." Bonnie said.

"Okay…" Luke mumbled, walking away to check on the other group members.

Bonnie looked to Vince, "Is he alright?" She asked.

"I don't know. He hadn't spoken for hours." Vince said.

"Yeah." Wyatt nodded. "I'm surprised he led us to the right spot."

Vince nodded in agreement. "Did everyone else make back okay?" Vince asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "Shel's dead."

"W-What?" Vince stammered.

"Shit…" Wyatt muttered. "How's Becca coping?"

"She's dealing with it…" Bonnie sighed. "She wanted to be alone for a while."

The men nodded in understanding.

"Fuck…" Wyatt said sadly.

"What about everyone else?" Vince asked.

"They're here…" Bonnie said. "Clem's unconscious."

"Poor kid…" Vince said. "What happened?"

"No idea." Bonnie replied. "Carlos is looking at her now…"

"So… What's the plan?" Wyatt asked.

"We need to find somewhere to go." Bonnie said. "The baby shouldn't be out in this cold… and it's definitely not helping Clem."

"Right." Vince agreed. "I guess we need to figure out what our next move is."

* * *

"How is she?" Luke asked, looking over to the unconscious Clementine.

"She's okay." Carlos replied. "She just needs to rest."

Luke let out a sigh, "Alright. We need to find someplace safe for the baby. Someplace warm." Luke said.

"I'll agree with that." Kenny said.

"Okay." Luke nodded. "I guess we should do some scouting. I'm going to talk to the others."

"Sounds good." Carlos agreed.

With that Luke walked away.

Luke approached the other group members. "We need a plan…" He spoke. "I'm thinking we can find some temporary shelter until we figure something out. Let everyone rest up for a bit."

"The museum's close by. We can get the group settled there." Bonnie said.

"What's the condition of the building?" Luke asked.

"Windows are broken, but as long as we're careful we should be fine." Mike said.

"That's good. Until then, we should probably look for another spot, just in case." Jane spoke up.

"Yeah." Luke agreed. "There's an observation deck around here. We can check it out."

"How about you and I go do that?" Jane suggested.

"Sure…" Luke said.

"While you're doing that we can start making sure the museum's okay to move our people in to." Mike said.

"We'll help." Vince said. "Better to get these kids out of the cold as soon as possible."

"Alright." Wyatt said." Sounds like a plan."

"I'll stick around. You should too, Russell." Bonnie said. "We need people here to be on the lookout if anything goes wrong."

"Got it." Russell replied.

With that discussion finished, the group started to head to do their assigned task.

* * *

Luke and Jane walked in silence.

Jane could tell something was bothering the man, she didn't know what. "You alright?"

"Why do you ask?" Luke questioned.

"You seem upset." Jane replied.

Luke scoffed. "The world's fucked up. Of course I'm upset."

"I know what you mean, but you can't let it bother you." Jane said.

"Why not?" Luke grumbled.

"Complaining isn't going to help anyone." Jane replied.

"Fair point." Luke said. "That's why I'm not complaining."

"Well… You shouldn't keep it bottled up either…" Jane said. "What's eating you?"

"Well, my best friend just died right in front of me a few hours ago." Luke said. "That's something…"

"That's not all." Jane urged him to continued.

"No, it's not…" Luke sighed.

"What else?" Jane asked.

"I keep thinking about Carver… What he did to Clementine…" Luke mumbled, he could literally feel his stomach turning. "It's sick…"

"I know." Jane said.

"He completely messed her up…" Luke said. "I'd be surprised if she didn't hate me."

"For what?" Jane inquired.

"I basically led her there. It's my fault." Luke said.

"You're not the one who raped her. That was Carver." Jane said.

"That doesn't make it any better." Luke shook his head. "I put her in that situation."

Jane sighed. "You can't go blaming yourself."

"I can't not blame myself…" Luke replied. "I can't imagine how much this is going to screw her up."

"Nothing we can do about it." Jane said. "The damage is already done."

"I know…" Luke said. "That's the worst part. He destroyed that child."

"She's still alive." Jane said. "She can get better with help."

"That kid will never be the same. She been through a lot… What Carver did to her probably tops everything." Luke said.

"Yeah, she's been through a lot. And she's worked through it. That's proof that she can get through this too." Jane said.

"I hope so…" Luke sighed.

"Come on. We can't worry about that now." Jane said. "Let's check out this observation deck. I like the height."

"Yeah." Luke nodded.

As the two made their way to the observation deck, Luke asked a question, "What about you?"

"Hmm?" Jane looked confused.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked her.

Jane hesitated before speaking, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Luke didn't respond.

Jane sighed. "Who is okay these days?"

Luke shrugged in response. Soon enough the arrived at the deck and Jane looked to the man.

"I just got some things on my mind…" Jane said.

"Want to share?" Luke asked.

"I'd rather not…" Jane replied.

"Come on…" Luke said. "It's not good to keep stuff bottled up."

Jane rolled her eyes as he used her own words against her. "Fine."

Jane was quiet for a moment and Luke waited for her to speak.

"I'm… I'm just thinking about my sister." Jane said.

Luke raised a brow. "You have a sister."

"Yeah… Well… I had one…" Jane sighed. "She died."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jane." Luke said.

"Yeah…" Jane sighed. "Clem… She reminds me of her… I don't know why."

Luke sent her a sympathetic look, "How… How did she die?"

"I… I tried to save her… keep her alive, but she just gave up?" Jane said.

"She killed herself?" Luke asked.

Jane was silent for a moment. "I dragged my sister across four states... And every morning, she'd say she wasn't getting up. So I'd convince her. Or push her. Or goddamn carry her, if I had to. Until this one time..." She paused for a moment. "Walkers cornered us. Forced us up to the roof. And then when they kept coming... I... I couldn't make her jump. Couldn't throw her." Jane stammered. "So I tried something else. I told her she could have what she wanted. And I left her there. Jumped to the next building over by myself."

"You left your sister?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"It killed me for a long time. But I finally realized that I'd put her on a forced march through hell, when all she really wanted was for me to let her go." Jane replied.

"I'm so sorry." Luke said.

"It's fine. Nothing we can do about it…" Jane said before mumbling to herself. "Maybe that's what it is about Clementine…"

"What?"

"Nothing." Jane shook her head. She started to make her way up the stairs of the deck.

Luke stood in confusion for a moment before following her.

Once they were both on the deck, Jane cleared her throat. "This gate's still locked."

"Hopefully no one got here before us." Luke said.

"Yeah. That would suck." Jane said. "Anyway, there might be something useful in there."

"Right now the question is, how are we going to get it open?" Luke said.

Jane shrugged. "I probably have something I can use to pick the lock." She dug into her pocket, pulling out a pocket knife. "This might work." She mused.

"You think?" Luke asked.

"Well… It's worth a try." Jane replied.

"True." Luke said.

"While I'm doing this, how about you take a look around?"

"Sure…" Luke said. He looked around the area of the deck before making his way over to a nearby telescope. He looked through it, slightly surprised to find it was working. He could make out a building across the river. He knew the group needed rest, but that could be a good stop to where ever it was they would go next.

"See anything?" Jane called.

"Yeah." Luke said. "There's a building across the street."

"The next river crossing is miles away, but who knows… It might be a good stop."

"Right." Luke nodded. "This area is an okay spot, but the kids need someplace warm. Especially considering we have an infant with us."

Jane sighed, "Everyone else's problems don't have to be yours."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"That baby isn't yours. It's Rebecca's. Same goes for the other kids. They're not your children, they don't have to be your responsibility."

"We're a group. We need to help each other."

"Groups don't always work out." Jane said. "And if you get an attachment… It's hard to turn away when things go south."

"I'm already attached. They're my family." Luke stated.

"I'm just saying… You can let their parents deal with them." Jane replied. "You're going to stress yourself out."

"Everything's already stressful. I care about those people. I'm not going to stop helping them." Luke said.

"Your choice." Jane shrugged. "I'm just letting you know."

"That's fine." Luke sighed. "I don't mind helping people I care about. They're what makes my life worth living."

"I guess it makes sense that you feel that way." Jane said.

"Yeah." Luke mumbled.

They fell silent. Luke walked around, looking for anything useful.

"How's that gate coming?" He asked after a few moments.

"I don't know." Jane said. "I think I almost got it."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah…" Jane said.

Silence fell over them again before Jane suddenly placed her knife down, standing up.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked as Jane started to approach him.

"Nothing…" Jane said. "You know… You don't always have to put so much stress on yourself. Sometimes you just have to take a moment to forget."

Luke shook his head. "That's easier said than done."

"Doesn't have to be…" Jane replied, unzipping her jacket.

Luke looked confused. "What?"

"Let me help you forget." Jane dropped her jacket from her shoulders.

Luke's eyes widened. He knew where this was going.

"I… I…" He wanted to protest, but his words were lost. He was frozen as Jane tugged her shirt over her head.

Soon enough the woman closed the gap between the two of them and he could feel her hand run over his clothed member.

His lips trembled as two words fell from them, "Oh shit…"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand.**_

* * *

Jane shifted and Luke could still feel her fingers on his bulge.

"Jane?" Luke whispered. Luke was breathing pretty hard at this point. It was apparent that he was quite excited by what was happening.

Jane then slipped a couple fingers into the waistband of Luke's pants. She traced his fingertips around.

Luke groan, "Oh fuck…"

Luke swallowed a little as he felt Jane's palm move, stroking gently.

"We shouldn't..." Luke said.

"Shut up." Jane whispered in response. She forced her lips to his.

Fingers grappled with zippers and soon clothes were shed to land in heaps on the deck.

They both laid on the deck, not stopping with their lusty touches.

Skin to skin, Luke relished the feel of Jane's warm body against his.

He knew it wasn't the right time for this, but after what he was forced to do to Clem... He felt like he needed it. He needed to forget.

He lifted his head to gaze into Jane's eyes.

"You sure you want to do this?" Luke asked, his heart beat wildly.

"Fuck me" Jane responded,

Luke positioned himself between her legs and looked into her eyes.

"Do it." Jane said.

That was all he needed. Luke was lost. He pushed inside with a groan.

Their bodies rocked together. Their breathing was ragged.

Luke settled into a rhythm, sweat glistening on both of their bodies.

Soon they both reached the edge.

Luke heard Jane cry out and felt her inner walls spasm, which caused him to also reach his peak.

They laid for a while, contented and satisfied.

Once they finished catching their breath Luke spoke. "Well… That was about as human as I felt in a longtime."

"I guess it was good then." Jane smirked.

"Yeah." Luke said.

"Good to know." Jane said.

"Right." Luke breathed out.

There was an awkward silence before Jane sat up. "We should uh… We should get back to the group."

"But we still gotta get this gate open." Luke reminded.

"We'll do it tomorrow." Jane said. "That museum is probably an okay spot for the night."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Luke said, forcing himself up as well.

The two stood and began to dress in silence.

There was suddenly an awkwardness between them.

Luke swallowed nervously. "Let's go…"

Jane nodded in response.

The two made their way off the deck. The silence was consuming, Luke couldn't help but think he had made a stupid decision.

* * *

"Becca, we need to get moving..." Bonnie said, trying to get the teen moving.

"Fuck off..." Becca huffed.

"Becca please." Bonnie tried again.

"I'm not going anywhere." Becca snapped. "I want to be with my sister!"

Bonnie bit her lip before speaking, "I know how you feel."

"No you don't. You don't have the slightest idea how I feel." Becca said. "I have no one."

"I'm here. We're all here for you Becca." Bonnie replied.

"Yeah right." Becca scoffed. "I don't need a babysitter. Go take care of the slut."

"She's eleven." Bonnie said, eyes wide in surprise at Becca's words.

"And?" Becca replied.

"She was raped." Bonnie said.

"She probably wanted it." Becca said coldly.

Bonnie paused before asking, "What do you have against her?"

"What?" Becca asked.

"You don't like her?" Bonnie questioned. She didn't understand why Becca was so anger at little Clementine.

"Why would I?" Becca rolled her eyes.

"What has she done to you?" Bonnie asked.

"She called me a bitch." Becca said.

"You're holding a grudge over that?" Bonnie questioned. "She doesn't even know what the word means."

"Who cares." Becca said.

"You can't be mad about that." Bonnie said.

"She killed my sister!" Becca spat.

Bonnie raised a brow, "How?"

"She should've been the one to get bit." Becca said.

"Don't say that." Bonnie said.

"It's true." Becca replied.

"Can't you just try not to fight with her?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. As long as she stays away from me." Becca said.

"Fair enough…" Bonnie sighed. "I know you're upset, but we can't stay here."

"Fine. Let's go…"

Becca stood, looking annoyed.

They made their way to the museum.

* * *

Luke felt the awkwardness as he walked beside Jane. He walked without knowing where to look, because he did not want to meet Jane's eyes.

He kept his head low as they walked. He kept wondering if he was standing to close to her or too far away. He wanted to break the silence, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

Eventually they made it back to the camp area.

Most of the group was gone, besides Kenny and Vince who were gathering supplies around the area.

Luke approached the two. "Hey… Where's everyone?"

"They've moved to the museum. We wanted to get the kids out of the cold." Kenny said.

"Oh." Luke said.

Kenny raised a brow, looking the two over, "What took you so long?"

"We were looking around." Jane said.

"…Okay…" Kenny replied.

"Clem wake up yet?" Luke asked.

Kenny shook his head. "No. She's probably going to be out the rest of the day."

"Can't blame her." Luke sighed.

"You okay?" Vince asked. "You didn't seem yourself earlier.

"Just a lot on my mind." Luke told him.

Vince said. "Yeah. I think a lot of folks can say the same…"

"Yeah. Need any help?" Luke asked.

"Nah, why don't you go let the others know what you found." Vince suggested.

"Okay." Luke agreed.

"You go ahead." Jane said. "I'm going to stay out here for a bit."

Luke nodded in response, watching as Jane walked away.

He then walked towards the museum to find the others.

* * *

Once Luke walked into the museum, Bonnie noticed him and made her way toward him. "Luke, you find anything?"

"There's an observation deck. It's high up, could be a safe spot, at least for a couple days." Luke said.

"That's good." Bonnie said.

"Yeah." Luke said. "Only problem is it's locked down tight."

"Damn… Couldn't open it?" The redhead asked.

Luke shook a negative. "Jane tried picking the lock. We can try again tomorrow."

"Alright." Bonnie replied.

"Yeah. There's also a church or something, not too far." Luke said.

"How far is not too far?" Bonnie questioned.

"A couple miles away." Luke informed.

"We need to take a few days to rest." Bonnie said.

Luke nodded. "I agree… I think all of us could use some rest, especially Rebecca. She just had a baby."

"Right. We talked a bit about it… We were thinking we could stay here a day or two." Bonnie explained.

"That's probably a smart idea." Luke said. "It's not the most ideal place to stay, but it's okay for a temporary time."

Exactly." Bonnie said. "We can clean up some of the glass so the girls don't get hurt."

"Alright." Luke said. "That's probably for the best." He remembered how Clementine had been using glass to cut herself when they were still at Howes. He didn't think it was a good idea for the child to hold onto any weapons, at least not until they were sure she wasn't going to hurt herself.

"We'll be sure to deal with that tomorrow." Bonnie said.

"Sounds good." Luke said.

"For now, we should get everyone some food." Bonnie suggested.

"Good idea." Luke agreed.

It was mid-afternoon. Luke was sure that some food would be good for everyone.

* * *

The day went on uneventful and eventually night came.

Luke hadn't spoken to Jane since their earlier encounter. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want things to stay awkward between them.

He went outside for some air, hoping to clear his head.

"Can't sleep?"

Luke jumped at the voice and turned to face Jane. "You scared me." He said.

"Sorry." Jane replied. "You okay?"

"Just thinking…" Luke said gently.

"You regretting it?" Jane suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" Luke looked to the woman.

Jane spoke up again, "Sleeping together… Do you regret it?"

"No." Luke said.

Jane nodded. "Good… Because I was thinking… we could try to get that gate open tomorrow…"

"I..." Luke stopped, not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to." Jane said.

"No… I will." Luke replied.

Jane smiled. "Okay. I'm heading to bed."

"Yeah. I'm going to do the same soon." Luke said.

"Night." Jane called, turning to head back into the museum.

"Goodnight." Luke said.

* * *

"Becca…eat something…" Russell spoke to the teen in a gentle voice. "Becca?"

"Fuck off." She spoke in an angry whisper, shooting the boy a glare.

"Come on, it's been two days. You can't just starve yourself." Russell protested.

"I can do whatever I want. Just leave me alone will you?" Becca huffed in response.

Russell once again tried to speak to the girl. "But-"

"GO AWAY!" Becca shouted.

Russell let out a sigh, leaving the young girl alone.

"Any luck?" Bonnie asked as she saw Russell approaching.

"Nope." Russell said.

"She refused to eat again?" Rebecca asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah." Russell nodded. "I don't know what else we can do…"

"I'm worried about her." Bonnie admit. "She can't keep going on like this. It's not healthy."

"You're right…but she just lost her sister. She needs time to grieve." Rebecca said.

"We've all lost people." Mike piped up from when he was sitting.

"But she's still just a kid. You got to remember that." Rebecca replied.

"Yeah…" Bonnie said. "Speaking of which, how's Clem doing?"

"She still hasn't woken up." Rebecca replied. "Carlos said she's exhausted. She hasn't had the chance to sleep properly."

"Poor kid… I hope she wakes up soon." Mike said.

"Me too." Bonnie sighed.

"You think Luke and Jane are having any luck with that deck?" Russell asked.

"I don't know… They've been trying to get it open everyday." Bonnie said. "Must be one strong lock…"

"Must be…" Russell said.

* * *

No matter what he did, Luke couldn't shake the guilt of what he did to Clementine. He couldn't forget it… And it made him sick.

Even now as he and Jane had sex, he couldn't forget the fear in Clementine's eyes, the noises that child made.

Again the guilt came through in a wave, so much that he started to lose his erection.

"You okay?" Jane asked, noticing his tense expression.

"Y-Yeah." Luke panted.

Jane furrowed her brows, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Luke said.

"Really?" Jane asked.

"Yes…" Luke said.

Jane sent him a look that told him she didn't believe him. Yet the woman was determined not to stop, not yet. "Fuck me." She whispered in his ear.

Her lust filled voice surprised him and he felt himself growing hard once more.

He moved his hands to Jane's hips and started to thrust.

Grunts and moans filled the air with each fast thrust.

Luke could fell his orgasm was building quickly.

It wasn't long before a wave of pleasure hit him like a train.

Jane had also reached her peak, just as she felt Luke start to cum.

Both lay on the deck, in a mind-numbing haze.

"Wanna head back to the group?" Jane asked.

"Not yet…" Luke said.

Jane gave an understanding nod, "Well then… Wanna go another round?"

Luke smirked in response.

* * *

Becca wanted to be alone. She couldn't understand why the group kept bothering her. All she wanted was her sister.

She tried to distant herself from the group, but they always seemed to find an excuse to talk to her. Or try. She didn't really let them speak to her without getting yelled at.

She knew they were looking out for her, but it didn't matter. She didn't need them. The one person who cared about her the most was gone, all thanks to that Clementine.

She didn't look up as Bonnie placed a can beside her, telling her to eat something.

She wouldn't. Even though she was hungry, she did not eat.

She couldn't bring herself to.

Annoyed, Becca pushed the can away and stood.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie called.

"For a walk!" Becca replied.

She left before Bonnie could utter another word.

She walked the whole day. With no destination in mind. Everytime she would sit to rest; images would flash of her sister becoming a monster.

Eventually evening came and she returned to the museum. Luke and Jane had returned from their run or whatever.

Upon her return Becca was immediately bombarded with questions. Ignoring the questions of where she had been she went back to her area, finding the can still where she had left it.

She was so hungry at that point that she ate the food.

She ate it and she ate it all.

The she lay on the ground and went to sleep. Nobody bothered her and she was glad.

* * *

Clementine awoke in the early morning feeling ill. Her head was throbbing and her stomach felt queasy.

Even as she just lay still, she felt dizzy, as if everything around her was spinning.

The child forced herself to her feet. She didn't recognize her surrounding, but she quickly realized they were no longer in the pen…

Quietly, as if not to wake anyone, she made her way outside.

She felt the warm sun hit her face as she stepped outside. She stood there, taking in the area, hoping that some fresh air would help her feel better. That wasn't the case. A sudden wave of nausea hit the young girl and she started to throw up continuously. She emptied everything in her stomach, which wasn't much.

Once she finished she heard a voice.

"You're awake?" Becca stepped outside, looking to the young girl.

"Yeah…" Clementine spoke weakly, almost as if it hurt to talk.

"What are you doing out here?" Becca asked.

Clementine didn't respond, wiping her mouth and letting out a small cough.

Becca raised a brow, "You sick?"

"I don't know…" Clementine said honestly.

"Whatever." Becca said. "I don't really care. I just want you to stay away from me if you are."

Clementine shrugged in response.

A silence fell over them before Becca spoke again. "…Did it hurt?"

"What?" Clementine asked confused.

"The sex?" Becca said.

"Yeah…" Clementine frowned. "A lot…"

"You didn't want it… did you?" Becca asked the younger girl.

"Of course not." Clementine said.

"Who did it to you?" Becca asked her.

"…Carver… and Troy." Clementine saw no point in lying. Everyone else already seemed to know.

"Why didn't you say anything? If you didn't want it, why didn't you tell?" Becca asked.

"…He told me not to." Clementine said.

"So you listened? What are you, stupid?" Becca questioned the girl.

Clementine shot the girl a glare. "I didn't want him to hurt my friends."

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Becca said.

Clementine frowned, averting her gaze. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Because I can." Becca said.

Clementine bit her lip, not replying.

"When'd you wake up?" Becca suddenly asked.

"Just a while ago…Maybe twenty minutes or so…" Clementine said.

"Oh…" Becca said.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"You were out for two days." Becca said.

"Seriously?" Clementine was surprised to hear that.

"Yeah. They were worried about you." Becca spoke in a bitter voice.

"If you don't like me, you don't have to talk to me." Clementine said to the older girl, noticing the irritated tone of voice the teen spoke in.

"I know." Becca said.

"You don't have to stay out here either…" Clementine mumbled.

"I'm not doing it to keep you company. I wanted to be outside." Becca said.

Clementine shrugged, she didn't care one way or another. "Okay…"

"Yeah…" Becca said. "You're lucky I'm even trying to make conversation…"

"…You really are lonely, huh?" Clementine asked after a moment of silence.

"W-What?" Becca stammered, taken aback.

"I think you're cranky because you're lonely…" Clementine said.

"Shut up. I am not."

"Are you sure?" Clementine asked.

"You're just a little kid. You don't know shit!" Becca snapped at the eleven-year-old.

"I know you're not happy…" Clementine stated.

"Neither are you." Becca shot back.

"I know I'm not happy." Clementine said. "But… I also know I'm not the only one who has it tough. I'm not going to be selfish."

"Shut the fuck up! Everything was fine until you came along!" Becca snapped, before storming away.

Clementine was puzzled. What had happened while she was asleep?


	6. Chapter 6

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help._**

* * *

Clementine stood outside for a couple moments, still wondering what had happened while she was asleep. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Becca's bullshit. She already felt like crap and she was extremely confused over what had happened with her and Carver.

Becca's words didn't help. _"If you didn't want it, why didn't you tell?"_

Why didn't she tell? Was she worried about her friends? Was she scared of that man? Clementine didn't know anymore, but she thought it to be a mixture of both.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder, was it her fault?

Clementine frowned. She hadn't wanted Carver to touch her… to do those dirty things to her, but sometimes she did like it… Was that wrong of her?

Clementine stood outside for a while before suddenly hearing a voice behind her.

"What's with all the racket, it woke the baby." Kenny said.

As Clementine was pulled out of her thoughts she could hear the distant cry of Rebecca's baby.

"Clem?" Kenny was surprised. "When'd you wake up darlin'?"

"A little while ago." Clementine responded.

"How do you feel?" Kenny asked.

"Fine, I guess." The child shrugged.

"That's good…" Kenny said. "How about you come inside, it's cold."

"No thanks…" Clementine mumbled.

"Come on, darlin'. I don't want you to get sick." Kenny laid a hand on the girl's shoulder but she shrank back from it.

"NO! I said no!" She snapped.

"Okay… I'm sorry." Kenny took a step back and the girl let out a breath.

They stood in silence for a while, Kenny watching the girl in concern as Clementine slipped her thumb into her mouth.

"Clem... Are you okay?"

After a couple moments the child spoke up, ignoring his question. "I want to see the baby."

Kenny picked up on the shakiness of the girl's voice. "Alright. Sure darlin'."

With a bit of hesitation, Kenny placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and led her back inside the museum.

They made their way over to Rebecca, who gave them a smile.

"Hey, Clem... How do you feel, honey?" Rebecca asked the young girl.

"Fine..." Clementine said. "Can I hold the baby?"

"Alright." Rebecca said. "Be careful with him, the way I show you."

Clementine nodded as Rebecca handed her the infant.

Clementine held the baby, rubbing her hand over AJ's little fingers.

"He's so tiny..." Clementine said. The baby grimaced a bit at the sound.

"Yeah." Rebecca said. "He just fell back to sleep."

"I like him." Clementine said.

"I'm glad, honey." Rebecca smiled, "He likes you too."

A tiny smile crept onto the girl's lips. "That's good." _At least someone liked her._ Clementine bitterly thought.

"How are you doing, Clem?" Rebecca asked after a couple moments of silence.

"Okay… I've just been thinking…" Clementine said.

"What about?" Rebecca questioned.

Clementine was quiet for a moment before speaking, "Carver…"

Rebecca let out a sigh, "I'm sorry he hurt you…"

"Is it my fault…?" Clementine asked.

Rebecca immediately shook her head. "Of course not."

"But… But I liked it…" Clementine said. "Not all of it, but sometimes…"

"It's a natural response…" Rebecca said. "You did nothing wrong. He should've never touched you the way he did."

"I just… I feel bad…" It took Clementine a moment to notice tears welling up, a lump in her throat.

She told herself not to cry.

"Don't." Rebecca said gently. "You have nothing to feel bad for."

"I can't help it…" Clementine whimpered. "Why did he do it then? What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong..." Rebecca reassured the child.

Rebecca reached out a took Clementine's little hand into her own as the girl let out a choked sob.

"Don't cry Clem." Rebecca said.

Clementine couldn't stop herself. The child started crying.

The noise woke AJ who started to wail as well. Rebecca took the infant into her arms, hushing him, before pulling Clementine into a single armed hug.

Clementine rested her head on Rebecca's shoulder and wept. Rebecca did her best to comfort her. The woman felt horrible.

Rebecca comforted the child until she fell asleep, having exhausted herself with her crying.

The noise had drawn the attention of the other group members, who glanced over in concern.

"Poor kid is broken…" Mike said.

"Yeah." Bonnie agreed. "I feel so bad for her."

Becca rolled her eyes. She didn't feel bad for the girl, she couldn't.

* * *

Clementine woke up feeling much calmer. She felt comfortable, something soft and warm against her skin.

She pulled the warm blanket off her and looked to her side, noticing Rebecca was asleep beside her.

She sat up and notice Kenny was holding baby AJ and sitting not too far from where they were. Mike was asleep on the other side of the museum.

Wyatt was looking through a bag of supplies. Bonnie, Vince, and Russell were cleaning up broken glass and Sarah was talking to her father. Clementine wanted to go over there, but she felt too awkward, like she'd be interrupting. Finally, there was Becca, who was sitting alone in a corner.

Clementine frowned and stood up, careful not to wake Rebecca. She knew the woman needed to rest.

Clementine was anxious as she walked around the museum.

She hadn't wanted the others to see her upset, but she knew they had heard her cry. She didn't want them to worry about her. The group had enough to deal with as it was. Now she felt worried about their reactions.

She slowly approached Becca wanting to see if the girl was okay. She didn't know why. She could tell the teen didn't like her. She noticed how Becca looked at her with disgust in her eyes, but for some reason she didn't want to stay away. She felt bad for the older girl, and she wanted to talk to her.

"What do you want?" Becca didn't even look up as she spoke.

"I just wanted to talk..." Clementine said.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." Becca said.

Clementine frowned, sitting down beside the girl anyway. "I'm sorry, okay..."

"Whatever. Why don't you go sit with your stupid friend, Sarah?" Becca grumbled.

"She's not stupid... What's the matter with you?" Clementine asked.

"Nothing!"

"Why are you so unhappy?" Clementine asked the older girl.

"It's none of your business." The teen started to stand but Clementine grabbed her sleeve.

"Let me go!" Becca snapped.

Clementine didn't. "I'm sorry. I really am. I don't want to fight with you anymore."

"Then stay away." Becca replied.

"Why?" Clementine asked. "Why can't we just move past what happened?"

"I hate you!" Becca snapped. "I hate you, okay."

Clementine flinched as she heard those words, releasing the girl's sleeve.

"I hate you." Becca repeated. "It's all your fault that my sister's dead.

Clementine lowered her gaze, shoulders shaking a bit.

"You should've been the one to get bit, not her." Becca snapped. "I hate you. It's all your fault!"

"It's okay if you hate me... I hate myself too..." Clementine said.

"Good." Becca spat. "Then do us all a favor and kill yourself."

Clementine didn't respond as Becca stood and walked away, leaving her in the corner.

* * *

Bonnie sighed. She could hear Clementine and Becca arguing again.

She just wished the two girls would stop fighting and try to get along.

She knew both girls were hurting, and more than likely their constant fighting wasn't because of anger directed to each other, but anger directed to the world. Bonnie couldn't understand why life was being so cruel.

She barely noticed Clementine's approach until the child spoke.

"Hi." Clementine said in a quiet voice.

"Hey." Bonnie said, offering her a half smile.

"Where's Luke?" Clementine asked.

"Him and Jane are out doing something..." Bonnie shrugged.

"Oh... Okay." Clementine mumbled.

"How are you?" Bonnie questioned the child.

Clementine shrugged in response. "Good."

"Good to know." Bonnie said. "Have you eaten anything? You hungry?"

Clementine quickly shook her head. "I'm okay." She was too worried that she'd just throw whatever she eats back up.

Bonnie nodded. "Okay... Just let me know."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Their conversation ended there and Bonnie walked off to check on Becca.

Clementine held back a sigh. She walked outside.

* * *

"You're surely a force to be reckoned with..." Luke chuckled.

Jane smirked, "You wanna elaborate on that for me?"

"Do I have to?" Luke asked.

"No... I think this explains enough." She took his member into her hand stroking it.

Luke groaned. "Eager are we?"

"Bet you are too." Jane replied.

"True, true." Luke chuckled.

"Well... Are you going to just stand there all day or are you gonna fuck me?" Jane asked.

"Feisty, aren't we?" Luke grabbed her, pulling her to the floor on top of him.

* * *

Noiselessly she stood outside.

Slowly she started down at her feet; that's when she noticed the sparkle of glass on the ground.

She crouched down and picked it up, one thing going there her head. Clementine held the glass shard, shoving it into her pocket.

The child walked away from the museum, trying to find somewhere she could be alone.

She wanted to cut… She needed to cut.

She approached an area with a deck and took a seat at a picnic table.

Pulling the shard from her pocket, she sliced into her arm. The gash started bleeding. Clementine ignored the pain and made another slice.

She traced the thin blue lines at her wrist with unsteady fingers when she suddenly heard voices coming from the deck. The child froze for a moment before standing.

Curious she made her way toward the deck and started climbing up.

* * *

Jane's hearing caught a mixture of sounds. The heaviness of breathing, the moans and groans they both released, the footsteps coming up the stairs of the deck. Jane froze.

"Luke! Luke stop!" Jane pushed against his shoulders.

"What?" Luke paused, looking confused.

"Someone's coming..." Jane said.

Luke started to pull away, but it was too late.

Clementine stood at the top of the deck, eyes wide.

"C-Clementine!" Luke stammered.

The girl didn't respond.

Luke and Jane quickly pulled away, gathering their clothes and dressing themselves.

"Shit..." Jane mumbled.

"Clem, we need to talk-" Luke stopped as he noticed the glass shard in the child's hand. Her arm was still dripping with blood. "What did you do?!"

"N-Nothing." Clementine took a step back.

"Give it here, Clem." Luke demanded, taking a step toward the girl.

"NO!" Clementine screamed. "I won't let you!" The child pulled the shard close to her chest. "Stay back! Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you Clem." Luke said, slowly approaching the girl.

When Luke got close enough, he grabbed the girl.

Clementine struggled, eyes wild as she tried to break free.

"It's okay. It's okay, Clem."

"No! NO!"

Suddenly the girl's struggles stopped.

Luke removed the shard from her hands, tossing it. He then pulled the child onto his lap, holding held her shaking form, as she sobbed against him.

Jane felt uncomfortable, not knowing how to help.

After a few moments Clementine seemed to calm down.

"Can you let me go?" Clementine asked.

"You're not going to hurt yourself, are you?" Luke questioned nervously.

"No…" Clementine mumbled.

"Promise?" Luke said.

Clementine nodded. "Yes…."

"Alright Clem." Luke released the child, but the girl didn't stand up. "We need to let Carlos take care of your arm…"

"Okay…" Clementine nodded.

"Umm…. We should talk… about what you saw…" Luke said.

"I know what you were doing…" Clementine said. "You were fucking Jane…"

"Clementine…" Luke sighed. "You can't say stuff like that."

"Why? That's what you were doing, right?" Clementine asked innocently.

"We were doing something that children aren't supposed to see." Jane said, taking a seat.

"You were doing what Carver did to me?" Clementine asked.

"There's a difference…." Jane said.

"What's that?" Clementine wondered.

"You were raped." Jane replied.

Clementine looked confused. "What's the difference between raped and fucking?"

"It's called sex, Clem." Luke said, not wanting to hear the girl swear anymore.

"Okay. What's the difference between raped and sex?" Clementine asked.

"When you're raped it means you didn't have a choice…" Jane explained.

"Okay…" Clementine frowned. "So… You wanted Luke to put his cock in you?"

Jane and Luke cringed at the child's choice of wording.

"I didn't like it." Clementine continued talking.

Luke's eyes widened, heart pounding as he wondered what the girl would say next.

"When Carver made us do it…" Clementine said.

"Hey... Uh, let's go have Carlos look at your arm." Luke said quickly, helping the child to her feet before standing himself.

"Okay." Clementine agreed.

Jane raised a brow at Luke's weird behavior, but followed the two without a word.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping.**_

* * *

"Sarah… I've been thinking…" Carlos started, "I think you should learn how to use a gun."

Sarah's eyes widened surprised by her father's word. "I already know…"

"What?" Carlos asked in shock.

"I… N-Nothing." Sarah stammered.

"No…" Carlos shook his head. "How do you know?"

"C-Clementine taught me." Sarah said.

Carlos let out a sigh. He thought about scolding the eleven-year-old, but quickly decided against it. The child had been through a lot. He didn't want to scare her any further.

"We didn't have any bullets." Sarah said.

"We'll have to do some practicing." Carlos said.

"Really?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah." Carlos replied. He wanted Sarah to be able to protect herself, especially after what happened at Howes.

Sarah gave a small smile. "Okay."

"Carlos…" The doctor turned at the call of his name to see Luke, who was holding Clementine's hand. The girl's gaze was glued to the ground.

Carlos raised a brow, "Luke?"

"You got a patient." Luke said, gently nudging Clementine forward.

"Clementine?" Carlos raised a brow. "What happened?"

Clementine didn't offer a response.

"Show him, Clem. It's alright." Luke said.

The child was still for a moment before showing Carlos her arm.

"What happened to you?" Sarah gasped.

"It was an accident." Clementine claimed.

"It doesn't look like an accident." Carlos stated as he examined the girl's cuts.

"It was." Clementine said nonchalantly.

Luke let out a sigh, but said nothing.

"What did you use?" Carlos questioned.

"It was an accident." Clementine only repeated.

"Well… How did this accident happen?" Carlos asked.

"A piece of glass." Luke answered.

Carlos frowned, "Alright… We'll get you fixed up."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Clementine was silent as Carlos took care of her wounds. Sarah watched her friend's expressionless face. She was worried about the younger girl.

As the doctor cleaned her arm, Clementine didn't give a reaction, other than a slight tremble of her shoulders.

Luke was surprised, he knew she must be in a great deal of pain, but she surely wasn't showing it.

Once Carlos finished cleaning the wounds he started to bandage the girl's arm. He spoke gently to the child, "How are you doing? Physically, I mean…"

"…Okay…" Clementine said, sounding unsure.

"Is that so?" Carlos asked.

The child only nodded.

"You're not sick anymore?" Carlos asked her.

"Umm… I threw up earlier…" Clementine admitted.

"Maybe you have a bug or something…" Luke said.

"B-Bug?" Clementine asked confused.

Luke chuckled at her innocence, "Like a virus, Clem."

"Am I going to die?" Clementine asked.

"Of course not." Luke said.

"But…What if I want to?" Clementine mumbled.

"We're not going to let you kill yourself, kid." Luke told the girl. "No matter how much you want to."

"Why not?" Clementine asked. She didn't sound upset, or confused. She just sounded tired.

"Because we care about you, Clementine." Luke said. "We don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Why?" Clementine asked. "Don't you think I'm dirty?"

"No. I would never think of you like that." Luke said. "None of us do."

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise…" Luke reassured her.

"Okay…" Clementine muttered. "I'm tired."

"You just woke up not too long ago." Carlos said.

"I know." Clementine replied.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Carlos inquired.

"No." Clementine groaned. "It makes me sick."

"You have to eat something. That's probably the reason that your energy is so low." Carlos stated.

"But I'll throw it back up." Clementine argued.

"We'll try something light." Carlos said. "An apple or something."

Clementine brightened. "I love apples. They're my favorite fruit."

"Well, there you go, kiddo." Luke smiled, happy to see the girl smiling. "We'll see if anyone has an apple for you."

"Okay…" Clementine nodded before suddenly asking, "Are you going to play with Jane some more?"

Luke's eyes widened and he swallowed nervously. "Uh… What?"

When he heard Clementine's words, Carlos raised a brow at Luke.

"You and Jane were playing?" Sarah giggled. "That's weird."

"Yes… It is, especially when they were supposed to be getting that gate open on the deck." Carlos said, giving Luke a look. "Care to explain?"

Luke scratched the back of his head, saying nothing for a moment. "Clem… She got the wrong idea…"

Clementine frowned at that. "I'm not a liar…"

"I know…" Luke said to the child. "I… It was just-"

"I'm not a liar! I'm not!" Clementine snapped.

"I ain't calling you a liar, Clem." Luke said.

Clementine wasn't listening to him. "I'm not a liar. You're a liar!" The child starting tugging her arm from Carlos, who had just finished bandaging it.

Carlos released the girl, not wanting to hurt her.

Luke knelt down and tried to touch the panicking girl.

"NO! NO! Stop it!" Clementine yelled, yanking away.

The noise was drawing attention from the others. The group was just hoping that the child would settle down, they didn't need any walkers. Lucky for them, they hadn't seen many since they arrived.

Kenny, in particular approached, "What the fuck are you doing to her?" Kenny demanded, glaring at Luke.

"Wha- Nothing." Luke said. "I didn't do anything to her."

"Bullshit!" Kenny spat. "What the hell happened?"

Kenny turned to Clementine, looking worried.

"Don't touch her." Luke warned. He knew Clementine was panicking, touching her would only make it worse.

"Shut it, shithead!" Kenny snapped before calmly speaking to Clementine. "It's okay, darling…."

The child was trembling, eyes wide as if she was in shock. Both Luke and Carlos knew that she'd react violently if Kenny touched her.

"It's alright, Clem." Kenny deliberately kept his voice low. "I'm not going to hurt you." He slowly raised his hand toward the little girl, touching her shoulder lightly.

The child's response was to flinch, letting out a scream, so loud they thought she was in pain.

Kenny jumped, startled. Sarah's eyes grew wide and she covered her ears as her friend screamed.

Clementine quieted down and started to whimper. "Don't touch me… Don't touch me…" She mumbled. "It hurts… It hurts…"

"W-What hurts?" Kenny asked.

Clementine didn't answer. Instead, she began rocking back and forth, looking distraught.

Luke hated seeing the girl like that. He slowly took a step towards her, Carlos grabbed his arm to stop him, but Luke gently said, "It's okay…"

Carlos let him go and he continued to approach the child.

"Clem…" Luke called her name as he walked towards her. He carefully pulled the girl into his arms.

Clementine tensed and immediately started struggling. "No, no, no, no, no…." She chanted over and over.

"It's me… It's Luke." Luke said into the girl's ear. "I'm not gonna to hurt you, sweetie. No one's gonna hurt you."

He wasn't going to let her go until she started to calm down.

Slowly, Luke felt the young girl wrap her arms around him, burying her face into his neck.

"I'm sorry…" Clementine mumbled.

"Don't be… you have nothing to apologize for." Luke said.

"I want to be strong…. I don't want to be scared anymore…"

"I know…" Luke said, "You are strong. You're the strongest person I know, Clem."

It was true. The girl had endured so much. She was stronger than anyone Luke knew.

Clementine clung tighter to him.

Luke held the girl, letting her calm down. After a couple moments he asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Yes…" Clementine said. "I'm hungry…"

"Alright." Luke replied. "We'll get you some food."

"Can you put me down?" Clementine asked in a tiny voice, "Please?"

"Yeah…" Luke placed the child onto the ground. "How about you stay with Sarita for a bit?"

"Okay…" Clementine replied.

"Here, I'll take you to her." Kenny said.

Clementine just nodded. Kenny took the child's hand and led her away, Sarah hesitated for a moment before following.

Luke let out a sigh once they were out of earshot. "Is that normal?"

"What?" Carlos asked.

"The episodes..." Luke said. "The freak-outs she has. Are they normal?"

"She's been through a lot. Traumas like this can stay with a person for a long time." Carlos said.

"That's what I'm afraid of..." Luke said. "Is this going to haunt her for the rest of her life?"

"I don't know... Perhaps she'll recover." Carlos said. "It'll just take some time."

"And if she doesn't?" Luke asked.

"There's not much we can do…" Carlos answered.

"Shit…" Luke swore. "It's so fucked…"

"Yeah…" Carlos had to agree. "I'm worried how Sarah's coping…"

"Did he do something to her too?" Luke asked, sounding horrified.

"Unfortunately yes, but nowhere near as bad as what he did to Clementine…" Carlos said bitterly.

"I'm so glad he's dead." Luke stated.

"So am I…" Carlos said.

* * *

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Sarita asked in a kind voice.

"I'm really hungry." Clementine mumbled.

"Well, that can easily be fixed." Sarita smiled, digging into her bag.

To Clementine's excitement, the woman showed her half an apple.

Clementine beamed and accepted the fruit. The girl had only taken a couple bites before she stopped, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked her friend.

"I feel sick…" Clementine muttered, placing the apple down.

"You're sick?" Sarita asked with a frown.

"Y-Yeah…" Clementine forced herself to her feet, swaying a little.

"Alright… Let's go outside for a bit…" Sarita quickly grabbed the child, helping her outside, hoping some air would help.

The two had barely made it outside before the child started vomiting.

Sarita rubbed her back to comfort her, asking once the girl had finished, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Clementine mumbled.

"You sure?" Sarita asked.

Clementine nodded, wiping her mouth.

"What happened?" They heard a voice ask.

Clementine looked over to see Jane approaching.

"She's not feeling too good. She threw up." Sarita replied.

Jane looked to Clementine for a moment before her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh shit…"

"What?" Sarita asked.

Jane didn't say anything, her tongue twisted in her mouth. "…I… I need to take a walk."

"You just got back…" Clementine pointed out.

"And I'll be back again." Jane said.

"Okay…" Clementine mumbled.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you back inside." Sarita said, placing a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

Clementine nodded. "Can I go to sleep?"

"Not yet, Clem." Sarita said. "If you sleep now, you'll be up all night. How about you hang out with Sarah for a while."

"Alright…" Clementine agreed, allowing the woman to lead her back into the museum. She wondered what was wrong with Jane.

* * *

For about the next few days, Clementine would vomit every morning. She was quick to become fatigue and was always complaining about stomach pain. The child was always sick, yet there was no fever, no coughing or sneezing.

Carlos tried to make sure she stayed hydrated, giving her water, but there were times when Clementine refused to drink it, saying it made her have to use the bathroom… and that it burned.

Carlos quickly figured that the girl had a urinary tract infection and explained to her that the water would help flush it out.

Still, he couldn't tell exactly what was causing the girl to constantly vomit. It seemed there wasn't a single food the girl could hold down anymore. Those apples Clementine loved so much, had become her worse nightmare. The once loved fruit would now cause her to throw up immediately.

The group was becoming concerned. Even Becca was worried about the younger girl. The teen would come over to check on the eleven-year-old quite a few times, and even though she insisted she didn't care, it showed she did.

"She throwing up again?" Jane asked, noticing Luke was looking to the museum exit with concern.

Sarita had once again taken the child outside to let her vomit. Luke wondered with worry what the girl was throwing up, considering she wasn't eating much.

"Yeah..." Luke mumbled.

Jane shook her head, looking upset. "This isn't good... She's too young..."

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked the woman.

"She's pregnant." The words came out before Jane realized she had spoken them, she felt ill at the very thought. Clementine was too young; far too young.

"S-She's what?" Luke's face turned to stone and his heart sank to the floor.

"I... I don't know for sure... but I think she's pregnant." Jane said, turning away from him.

"Pregnant?" Luke blinked in surprise, voice raising an octave. "Like... pregnant, pregnant?"

"Yes..." Jane said.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping._**

 ** _Thanks to Louche for the revised idea in the bath scene._**

* * *

Clementine was sure she was dying. She was throwing up everyday and she was so tired all the time.

Sarita was rubbing her back as she released her stomach contents. Sarah looked at her friend in worry.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked the young girl.

Clementine shook her head. "I don't know what's wrong with me..."

"You'll be okay, sweetie. You probably have a flu..." Sarita said.

"My dad can probably help you…" Sarah said. "Want to see him?"

Clementine quickly shook her head. "I think I'm better now."

"Come on," Sarita said. "Let's get you some water."

Clementine let out a tiny whisper of, "Okay…"

* * *

Luke felt as if he'd been physically slapped.

 _Pregnant...?_

Luke looked horrified by the thought, as did everyone else within earshot.

Clementine couldn't be pregnant... She was just a kid…That would be a massive disaster- one they wouldn't be able to fix.

"You're fucking lying!" Kenny suddenly snapped.

Jane gave a cold stare, poker face. "Why would I lie about this? That girl is pregnant."

Becca looked over to the adults as she heard that. Who was pregnant?

"I can't believe that. I just can't." Rebecca mumbled.

"If you can't accept the truth, that's your problem." Jane sighed, "But you should start getting ready to believe it…"

"She's just sick, that's all. Quit making up shit! You're a fucking liar. A real piece of work you are." Kenny spat, before storming off.

Jane sighed again as Luke shook his head, his face looking deadly pale.

"She can't be... There's no way..." Luke stammered. "She's too young..."

"I know this is hard to hear, but think about it... There's a possibility." Jane said.

"That's impossible..." Bonnie said. "She's just a little girl…"

"What's your explanation then? Why's she been so sick?" Jane asked.

"I don't know... But it's gotta be something else..." Bonnie replied.

Jane sighed, "So what is it?"

"I... I don't know. I'm not a doctor..." Bonnie frowned.

"But Carlos is..." Rebecca said.

All eyes turned to the doctor who let out a sigh.

"Is she...?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know for sure..." Carlos said. "I'd have to examine her."

"She's not going to like that..." Mike said.

"If she is pregnant... She's going to need a doctor anyway." Carlos said. "We have to know for sure... If I were to take a urine sample, I could tell…"

"Fuck..." Luke said. "This is so fucked up!"

"I know… I mean… fuck, she's just a little girl." Mike said.

"Not anymore…" Jane said. At least if she was pregnant, she wouldn't be for long.

Soon Sarita entered the museum with Sarah and Clementine.

After drinking some water Clementine approached the rest of the group. The child quickly picked up on the tension in the room and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Clem…" Luke quickly said.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Clementine said.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Bonnie said.

"If you say so…" Clementine replied.

"Yeah… Don't worry." Luke said.

Clementine shrugged. "Okay…"

* * *

All that night Jane lay tossing and turning in restless thoughts. She tried telling herself that maybe Clementine was sick because of stress, but she knew that wasn't the case.

Jane was pretty sure Clementine was pregnant.

When her mother had been expecting Jamie, she was sick every morning for the first three months- although Clementine's sickness was much worse, probably because she was so young.

All signs pointed to pregnancy. It was an ill-fated situation.

When morning came, she decided she needed some fresh air. A walk in the woods would surely clear her head.

Jane passed the time in restless walking, and had one thought only: What were they going to do?

She spent the morning walking briskly along a trail in the woods. She walked until she came to a fork in the path. She walked along one of the possibilities and discovered she was walking beside a stream. She continued along the edge of the stream which eventually led to river.

Jane returned to the fork and tried the other path.

She walked in silence. The area was so quiet. Peaceful.

It was nice to clear her thoughts...

She continued down the path and was surprised when she noticed a figure. She moved closer and noticed it was a boy. He was digging. Jane assumed this person was burying a loved one. She pitied him for a moment.

She was about to leave when she realized, the boy was digging up something, not burying something.

She felt both curious and nervous. She wasn't sure what she had stumbled upon, but it was unnerving enough for her to want to leave. Now.

The boy had finished his digging and was picking something up. Jane noticed he was now holding a bag.

The boy frantically combed his surroundings, then froze when his eyes landed on Jane. He quickly drew his gun, aiming it at her.

"I don't want any trouble." Jane said, raising her hands in a non-threatening manner.

"I am Arvo... I'm going to go... I don't want to shoot." The boy, Arvo said.

"Well, that makes two of us..." Jane said.

He caught her off guard. Jane couldn't believe it…She was not a victim, damn it! She wouldn't let herself be victimized.

Her lips twisted into a grimace. "What's in the bag?"

The teen blinked at the abruptness of her question. "W-What?"

Jane took the opportunity. With one deft move, she knocked the gun from his hand. She quickly picked it up and aimed it at him.

Jane walked closer to the trembling boy, she dug in the stranger's pockets. He didn't have anything useful.

"What's in the bag?" She asked again.

"N-Nothing... Nothing's in the bag." Arvo stammered.

Jane scowled, "You're lying."

"No. I promise. N-Nothing's in the bag."

"Put it down…" Jane ordered.

The boy shot her a glare.

"Now."

Arvo did as she told, putting the bag down.

"Any other weapons in there?" Jane asked.

"No. I have no more guns. I swear to you." Arvo said.

Jane sent him a look, "Open the bag."

Arvo frowned, "There are no more guns!"

"Open the damn bag…" Jane said, firmer this time.

The boy bends down and opens the bag.

Jane watched and her eyes almost bugged out of her head. "Whoa…" The woman said. "That's a serious stash of meds."

"No no no no no. Take whatever you want, but don't take that medicine. It's for my sister." Arvo claimed, "My older sister. She is sick. The pain makes her cry, and that makes those things come. Please. This medicine is all she has."

Jane took in what he was saying, still aiming the gun at him. "Sick sister or not... My group could really use this stuff."

"No!" Arvo said. "You are not a nice person. You have already left me defenseless and now you take my sister's medicine?"

"Hey! I have people who are suffering. Who need this medicine." Jane said.

"My people are suffering just as much as yours. You are not special!" Arvo replied.

"I don't believe a fucking word about your sick sister." Jane growled.

"Please don't make my sister suffer. She has been through enough." Arvo pleaded.

"Oh yeah? Well, I think you're just some junkie. You know what that word means, huh?" Jane said.

"Oh! Oh no! I'm telling the truth. I swear upon my own life." Arvo said.

"I don't believe any of it." Jane huffed. "Back up."

Arvo glared harder at the woman. He took a step back.

"Don't move." Jane said. She zipped the bag up and picked it up.

"No!" Arvo said. "P-Please don't take the bag!"

Jane ignored him. "I'm going to give you the opportunity to run. But I better not see you again. I don't care if you do have some sick sister. Next time I see you, you won't just be walking away."

The boy frowned, trembling again. "Y-You will wish you hadn't done this."

The teen caught Jane's eye one last time before he turned and hurried away.

Jane let out a breath. She couldn't believe what she had just done… Her hands started to shake uncontrollably. Glancing at the bag she had stolen, she sighed.

She spared a final look over her shoulder before she started the walk back to the group.

* * *

Clementine had woken up feeling sick. The second she stood her sickness worsened. However, it wasn't until the group had eaten breakfast that Clementine couldn't take it anymore. Immediately, she ran outside and start throwing up.

She finished puking and had dry heaves for a moment. Moments later she took a few stumbled steps away from the mess she had made and glance up. The girl was a bit surprised to see Jane walking towards the museum. The woman was carrying a bag, Clementine couldn't help but wonder where she got it from.

As the woman got closer Clementine spoke up, "Hi, Jane."

Jane looked at the child, stopping beside her. "Hey… You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." Clementine said.

"Feeling sick?" Jane questioned.

Clementine sighed, "I'm always sick… Maybe I'm dying…"

"You're not…" Jane said.

Clementine looked at the woman, "How do you know?"

"I just do…" Jane said. "Everyone gets sick…"

"True…" Clementine muttered. "I know it's bad… but sometimes… I don't want to be alive anymore."

 _Like Jamie…_ "Don't say that." Jane said. "You have people who care about you."

"I guess…" Clementine said.

"You know…" Jane gave the child a small smile, but Clementine didn't even try to smile back. Jane let out a sigh.

"Where have you been?" Clementine suddenly asked her.

"Out." Jane replied.

Clementine sent her a look, "Obviously. Out where?"

"Walking around." Jane said.

"That's dangerous." Clementine said. "Going out alone…"

"Everything is dangerous, mom." Jane joked. "I'm fine, okay. I can handle myself."

"I know... I just... "Clementine trailed off.

"Hey... Don't worry, kid. I don't plan on dying anytime soon." Jane said, as if reading the girl's mind.

"I don't want anyone to die..." Clementine said.

"And yet you want to kill yourself…" Jane said.

Clementine lowered her head. "That's different."

"How so?" Jane asked.

"If I'm dead… there's no more pain… When other people die… I hurt more." Clementine said.

"They'll hurt too. If you killed yourself… This group really cares about you." Jane told her.

"…That's what makes it so hard…" Clementine said. "I don't understand why they care… They don't have to…"

"But they do… Nothing you can do about that." Jane replied.

Clementine frowned. The child indicated to the bag, "What's in there?"

"Supplies." Jane said.

Clementine raised a brow, "Supplies? Where did you get it?"

"I found it, alright. Figured the group could use it." Jane said. "How do you feel?"

"My body aches. My stomach hurts. To put it lightly, I feel like shit." Clementine said honestly.

"I bet... I can probably help with your pain." Jane unzipped the bag, placing it on the ground. She started to look through the bag.

Clementine glanced into the bag and was surprised by the amount of medication. "Holy shit…" The child muttered.

Jane chuckled. "Right… I did pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah… You made out well." Clementine smiled. "Where'd you find all this stuff."

"Doesn't matter." Jane replied.

Clementine raised a brow. "Why?"

Jane didn't answer. She continued digging through the bag, then extracted a bottle of pills. The woman stood up, holding the pill bottle. "Here." She handed the small bottle of pain medication to Clementine, her expression plain and impassive. "Take some of these."

"What is it?" Clementine asked.

"It's just pain medication. It will make you feel better." Jane said. "Go on, take them…" If Clementine was pregnant…. Hopefully she'd be able to trigger a miscarriage with the medicine. Jane had heard of people using anti-inflammatory drugs during early pregnancy to increase the chance of miscarriage. "Take the medicine, Clem…"

"How many?" The girl asked.

"Uh… As many as you think you need." Jane shrugged. "I'm going to go talk to the group."

"Umm… Okay…"

Jane walked away, leaving Clementine confused.

The girl glanced to the pill bottle she held in her hand. She was hesitant to take some random medication that Jane claimed to have found, But the pain throbbing throughout her body told her to take the pills.

She furrowed her brows wondering how many of those she would have to take for them to kill herself….

* * *

Jane entered the museum and approached the group members who were all talking.

"Where have you been?" Kenny asked as he spotted the woman.

"Does that really matter?" Jane replied.

Kenny shot her a look. "I think it does. We don't need you fucking anything up for us."

"Relax, old man. I was out on a run." Jane said.

"Alone?" Russell asked. "Doesn't seem safe…"

"I'm better by myself." Jane told them.

"I could've went with you." Luke said.

Jane shook her head, "You seemed out of it last night. Figured I'd let you sleep it off."

Luke sighed. Of course he was out of it. Jane had just told him that an eleven-year-old girl was PREGNANT.

"You got any provisions?" Vince asked.

"Actually yes..." Jane motioned to the bag she was carrying.

"What's in there?" Wyatt asked.

"Take a look for yourself." Jane unzipped the bag revealing the medicine.

The group looked into the bag with awe.

"Damn..." Wyatt muttered. "That's a shitload of medicine."

"Where'd you get all this?" Rebecca asked.

"Found it." Jane shrugged.

Luke sent her a look of disbelief. There was no way she was lucky enough to just find a bag of medicine.

"You found it?" Rebecca asked. "Where?"

"In the woods." Jane said. "I figured we could use it."

The group was bewildered by her statement that they were rendered speechless.

Finally, Kenny spoke up, "You're kidding... No fucking way you found this shit."

Jane opened her mouth to speak but she didn't get a chance.

Kenny glared at the woman, "You think we're fucking stupid or something?"

"What?" Jane asked.

"Tell us where you got this shit?" Kenny demanded.

"That doesn't matter…" Jane huffed.

"Of course it does!" Kenny replied.

"Kenny, please calm down." Sarita pleaded.

"Yeah… She's just helping us out…" Wyatt said. "Even if she didn't just find it, it's not like she stole it…"

Jane sighed and decided to change the subject. "I found a stream, it's a bit of a walk but I figured the group could get cleaned up there."

"That sounds like a good idea." Sarita said.

"Sounds wonderful actually." Rebecca said. She would love to get washed up.

"Yeah, that would be really nice." Sarah smiled.

"Really would be…" Russell said.

"Well, you know it's ladies first." Rebecca said.

"Fine, ladies first…" Luke chuckled.

"We can head out there tomorrow." Jane said.

"Wind's picking up. It's starting to get cold. Not sure how much longer we'll be able to hold out here." Vince said.

"Yeah… There's a town across the river…" Luke said. "It could be a good spot to go."

"The next river crossing is miles away." Jane added. "But if you guys are up for a walk, it's fine with me."

"What about the kid?" Vince asked.

"Clem?" Luke asked back.

"Yeah. She's been really sick… Are you sure she's up for the walk?" Vince asked.

"We won't really have much a choice. We can't stay here forever." Jane said.

"That's true…" Bonnie said. "But there's not many options of places to go…"

"Wellington." Kenny said. "That's out there. The best option we have."

"And where exactly is Wellington?" Mike asked.

"I'm not sure but we'll find it." Kenny replied.

"Well, I hope you're right." Mike said.

* * *

Clementine opened the pill bottle with trembling hands. She carefully emptied the contents into her hand but froze when she heard a voice.

"You've been out here for almost an hour... What have you been doing all this time?" Becca asked the younger girl.

Clementine didn't even spar her a glance. "Just... thinking."

"About?" Becca asked.

"Life..." Clementine mumbled, putting the pills back into the bottle.

Becca raised a brow. "Hmm... What do you got there?"

"Nothing..." Clementine quickly said.

"Liar." Becca replied. "Let me see." She reached out, trying to grab the object from the child's hand.

"No!" Clementine exclaimed, instinctively clambering back.

"Why not?" Becca questioned.

"Because it's mine. Just mind your own business." Clementine said.

"Fine. Whatever. Asshole…" Becca huffed.

Clementine didn't respond. She sighed, letting her guard down.

Becca took the chance to yank the pill bottle from her hand. She examined the medication, "Were you going to take these?"

"Yes." Clementine mumbled.

Becca was surprised to hear that. "Where the fuck did you get them?

"From Jane… She said she found them." Clementine informed.

"You don't just FIND medicine." Becca snapped. "You could kill yourself if you take random pills.

Clementine scoffed. "It's just pain medicine. And besides, I would rather be dead than alive."

"What the hell is wrong with you? I knew you were stupid, but not that stupid!" Becca snapped at the younger girl.

Clementine flinched at the sudden outburst.

"Quit being dumb. That's not something you joke about!" Becca said.

"Who said I was joking?!" Clementine retorted.

Becca harshly tossed the pill bottle. "Are you not understanding me?! You could DIE!"

"So..." Clementine simply said.

"What do you mean "so"? Do you WANT to die?" Becca asked.

"Maybe I do... Why do you care?" Clementine demanded.

"I don't..." Becca said before frowning. "Were you trying to kill yourself?

"...I thought you wanted me to die..." Clementine said. She didn't understand why Becca cared at all.

"I didn't mean that. I was just pissed. Nobody wants you dead, so don't try to off yourself. Got it." Becca said in a stern voice.

"I don't get you. I really don't..." Clementine said after having been silent for some time.

Becca paused before answering. "You don't have to "get me", just stop acting like an idiot and hurting yourself."

Clementine shook her head. "I can't."

"Then you really are stupid..." Becca said.

Clementine looked at the ground, feeling hurt.

Becca sighed, "This is ridiculous. Listen... The fact of the matter is... People care about you, so don't kill yourself just yet."

Although her mindset wasn't changed, Clementine muttered. "...Okay."

"Good..." Becca offered the younger girl a small smile but quickly wiped it away and replacing it will a smirk. "You know, Bonnie and Jane are going to take us to get cleaned up tomorrow, which is great because you smell like shit."

Clementine rolled her eyes.

"But I guess we all do..." Becca said. "Come on... Let's go inside."

"Okay…" Clementine muttered, allowing Becca to lead her into the museum.

"I'll kick your ass in tic-tac-toe." Becca taunted playfully.

"I'd like to see you try." Clementine said back.

* * *

Clementine spent the rest of the day talking to Sarah and Becca. The group was surprised that Becca was getting along with the other two girls.

Luke couldn't help but worry about Clementine. If she was pregnant… there was a chance that baby could be his… He felt his stomach churn at the thought.

He glanced over to the little girl who was playing a game of tic-tac-toe against Becca, while Sarah watched.

He didn't even want to think about the thought of a tiny life growing inside the little girl's body.

"You okay?" Came Jane's voice.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Luke grumbled.

"Worried about Clem?" Jane asked.

"I'm sure everyone is…" Luke said.

"Yeah…" Jane muttered. "She seems okay right now… I'm sure she'll be fine." As long as she took those pills…

"I hope…" Luke sighed. "We're going to have to call off our... engagements..."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Jane shrugged.

"Good…" Luke said.

* * *

As the day continued on the girls continued to enjoy playing tic-tac-toe, hangman, and other games. Everything was peaceful until Sarita had come over to offer the girls food.

Becca and Sarah accepted the food, but Clementine refused to eat.

"Clementine, I think you should eat something..." Sarah said to her friend.

Clementine did not move. Sarah thought maybe the younger girl hadn't heard her. She moved closer to Clementine and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"No!" Clementine pulled away.

Sarah was startled by her reaction, but spoke in a soft voice. "Aren't you hungry? You should eat something..."

The was no response from Clementine.

Sarita frowned and grabbed the child. Clementine tense up so much that Sarita had to release her. She didn't want to hurt the girl.

"Sweetie, what's wrong...? Talk to me..." Sarita said.

Clementine didn't say a word.

Becca was surprised by the younger girl's change of behavior.

"It's not good to keep stuff bottled up... Please talk to me..." Sarita went on.

Clementine finally turned to look at the woman. "I don't want to talk! I don't want to eat! I just want to die!"

The girl broke into sobs, silencing the others.

Sarah felt a shiver come over her as she thought about the horrible things Carver had done to Clementine. How he had broken her little friend, and how he would've done the same disgusting things to Sarah if Clementine hadn't screamed.

Sarita quickly regain her composure and started to comfort the child.

After Clementine had calm down, Sarita offered her food again.

Clementine looked to the bowl of soup the woman held with a frown. "I can't eat. Food makes me throw up."

"Let's just try…" Sarita said.

"Okay…" Clementine accepted the bowl. Clementine hesitantly started to eat. Eventually the child managed to finish the entire bowl, and she didn't even get sick.

"Good job, sweetie..." Sarita said.

"I think my dad can help you…" Sarah said. "Maybe he knows why you keep getting sick. We should talk to him."

Clementine thought about it. "Okay…" She wanted to know if she was dying.

* * *

Sarita had went with Clementine and Sarah to talk to Carlos.

Becca stayed behind and finished her meal… She felt bad for Clementine… The eleven-year-old had a lot she was dealing with.

Becca looked up and noticed Bonnie making her way towards her.

Bonnie took a seat beside her, "Hey."

"Hey…" Becca said back.

"You okay?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah… Is she going to be okay?" Becca asked.

"Clementine…. She's dealing with a lot right now."

"Yeah… I can tell…" Becca said.

"Thanks for easing up on her." Bonnie said.

"Whatever. She's not as bad as I thought."

"That's good…" Bonnie said.

"So… I heard you guys talking yesterday…" Becca said. "Who's pregnant?"

Bonnie nearly choked. "N-Nobody."

"You guys said someone was pregnant." Becca said. "I know that much for sure…"

"Don't worry about it…" Bonnie said.

"How can I not worry about it?" Becca asked. "A baby is a big deal…"

"I know." Bonnie sighed. "We don't know for sure. I'll let you know when we figure something out."

"But-"

Before Becca could speak another word, Bonnie started to walk away. The girl rolled her eyes.

* * *

Clementine was nervous as Carlos looked her over for any injuries. He then checked her for a fever, but there was none.

Sarah and Sarita stayed by the girl as Carlos did his checkup.

"Alright…" Carlos started, "You seem okay…"

"Then what's wrong with me?" The eleven-year-old asked.

"We're going to figure that out…" Carlos sighed. "I'm going to need to do a urine test…"

The child furrowed her brows. "What?"

Carlos showed the child an empty jar. "I want you to urinate in this…"

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"I'll test it and then I can tell what's wrong with you…" Carlos said.

"T-Test my pee?" Clementine stammered.

"Doctors test urine all the time, Clem." Sarah said.

Clementine looked to the teen before letting out a breath, "Okay…" She took the jar.

Clementine felt terribly embarrassed peeing in a glass jar. Sarita and Sarah stayed close by and that just made the child even more embarrassed.

Once she had finished, she closed the jar. When they went back into the museum, Clementine handed the jar to Carlos. Her face was hot with embarrassment.

She didn't speak to anyone for the remainder of the night.

* * *

The next morning, with a bag of supplies for both themselves and the baby, the girls headed to the stream Jane had found.

Jane led the way in silence.

Rebecca was chatting to Sarah about how nice it would be to get clean, while carrying AJ.

Bonnie and Sarita were making light small talk.

Becca noticed Clementine lagging to the back of the group. She slowed her pace so she could talk to the younger girl. "So... What's up with you?"

"Nothing..." Clementine said.

"Are you sick?" Becca asked.

"…No." Clementine murmured. She himself didn't even know what was wrong with her.

"Then what is wrong with you? You've been off all morning. Throwing up all week..." Becca said. Why she cared, she had no idea, but she did, although she would never admit that to anyone else.

"I don't know, okay!" Clementine snapped.

"Don't get mad at me. I was just asking a damn question." Becca said, feeling annoyed now.

"Hey!" Bonnie called. "No fighting, girls."

Clementine just stayed silent. She didn't feel like talking anymore.

Becca let out an annoyed sigh, but decided to keep quiet. Clementine was just a weird kid. That's all there was to it.

Eventually they arrived at the stream.

"Do we have to take our clothes off?" Was the first thing Clementine asked.

Jane chuckled a bit, "Well... You're going to have to so you can wash up."

Clementine lowered her head.

"We're all girls here. Don't worry." Jane said to the child.

"Yeah. And it's not like anyone here is a lesbian." Becca added. "At least, I don't think so."

"What's a lesbian?" Clementine asked.

"A girl who likes another girl. You know, a gay person."

"Gay?" Clementine echoed.

"Girls, we're not talking about this..." Rebecca calmly cut in.

"Why not?" Becca asked.

"Because we don't need to…" Rebecca replied. "Come on… Let's get washed up."

Becca huffed, but said nothing.

Clementine stood still, watching nervously as they started undressing, excluding Rebecca who was still holding AJ.

Clementine couldn't ignore the nude bodies around her. She felt self-conscious and extremely anxious to strip off her clothes.

Her eyes drifted to her friends who got into the water without a problem. The two teens were even talking and laughing; it was evident that neither of them felt the same uncomfortableness Clementine was experiencing. She couldn't help but felt a slight jealousy.

Clementine swallowed, her heart pounding violently.

"Clementine, are you okay?" Rebecca asked the girl.

"I'm fine…" Clementine said.

"You sure, sweetie?" Rebecca asked. "You want some help washing up?"

"N-No thanks." Clementine finally started to strip her clothes off with a lot of hesitation.

The child got into the water and started to wash up. She felt uncomfortable taking her clothes off, but she wanted to get washed up.

"It'll be nice to get clean. Don't you think, Clem?" Bonnie said to the girl.

Clementine frowned, saying nothing.

Bonnie raise a brow, "Clem?"

"You're a bitch." Clementine suddenly said.

"W-What?" Bonnie stuttered.

"You know I can't get clean! I'm dirty! A dirty little slut!" Clementine snapped.

"You're not. Don't say that." Bonnie reached out a hand to the child.

Clementine slapped her hand away. "Don't touch me. You let him do those things to me! You let him hurt me!"

"Clem... That's not true." Bonnie said.

"It is! You didn't care. You let him hurt me!" Clementine snapped.

The others looked over at Clementine's shout.

"Hey!" Jane hissed. "Quiet down, or you'll bring walkers.

Bonnie looked to Clementine with a somber expression. "I'm sorry, Clem…"

Clementine didn't say a word.

Bonnie quickly finished washing up before getting out of the water. After redressing she offered to hold the baby while Rebecca got cleaned up. Rebecca handed Bonnie the baby, before stripping her clothes off and making her way into the water.

* * *

Clementine felt dirty, disgusting.

Using a wash cloth, she started scrubbing her body. The roughness of her scrubbing was started to burn her skin. She didn't care though.

She wanted to feel clean. Why couldn't she get clean?!

Frustrated, she tossed the cloth into the water. Her eyes filled with tears, and sobs ripped from her.

She felt so worthless, so tainted. She couldn't understand, why was she so dirty? It was like Carver had stained her. No matter how many times she scrubbed, it felt like she was covered in filth.

"Why are you crying?" Sarah asked, looking worried.

Clementine quickly wiped away tears as Becca and Sarah approached her.

"I-I'm not." Clementine said.

"You're a bad liar." Becca chuckled.

Clementine didn't say anything in response. She forced herself to mask her emotions, not wanting to cry in front of them. She scanned the older girls bodies with her eyes.

Both girls were more developed than Clementine's shapeless body. Clementine couldn't help but wonder how her own body would look when she got older. It already got her unwanted attention, would it be worse when she actually had breast, when she was a little bit older and more developed?

She didn't realize she was staring until Becca scoffed.

"You like what you see?" Becca asked in a teasing tone.

"W-What?" Clementine stammered, tearing her gaze away.

"You were just staring at us. Maybe you are a lesbian?" Becca raised a brow.

"I'm not…" Clementine said. She didn't truly know what that word meant.

"Yeah right…" Becca said. "Anyway, I'm just teasing you. Although… I can't really blame you for being jealous."

"Jealous?" Clementine repeated. "Jealous of what?"

"Us. I mean look at you… You're flat as a board. There's not really anything attractive on you. I guess your face is cute… But babies and puppies can be cute too." Becca said.

Clementine frowned. She didn't know how to feel about that. If that was true…what was it that made Carver and Troy want to touch her? What made them find her beautiful?

"Becca… That's not very nice." Sarah said.

"Who told you I was nice? Whoever it was lied." Becca said. She then looked to Sarah, looking the teen over.

Sarah covered herself, not wanting Becca to make comments about her body.

"You're not much either. Hell, I'm probably the finest one here." Becca said.

"What?" Sarah frowned. "That's not true..."

Clementine didn't want to hear this.

"Why don't we compare? Us three. Oh… I mean two. Clementine has nothing to compare." Becca joked.

Clementine shot the teen a glare. "Not like I would want to!"

"Aww, she's jealous again." Becca teased.

Clementine just shook her head and turned to walk away.

"Clem, come on!" Becca called. "I was just messing around!"

Clementine ignored her, moving away from the two girls, anger coursing through her. Tears stung her eyes again. She didn't want to cry. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her tears under control.

She felt hurt by Becca's words, yet she didn't want to be attractive. That would mean she would have to worry about more people like Carver. The child shuttered, she could still remember the feeling of his hands on her body… If Becca or Sarah knew how that felt, they wouldn't care about being attractive either. She couldn't help but feel even more disgusted with her body.

Clementine felt movement in the water beside her another time, but the child gave no reaction.

"Hey." Rebecca said. "You okay, Clem?"

The girl didn't even look at her.

Rebecca frowned, Clementine was clearly not okay. "Clementine…" Rebecca called gently.

"Yes, Rebecca?" Clementine sighed.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

"Bonnie was being rude to me…" Clementine replied.

Rebecca drew her brows together and said, "Rude?"

"Yes… She was saying I was going to get clean. She was making fun of me… She knows I can't get clean…" Clementine said.

"Of course you can. You seem pretty clean right now." Rebecca said.

"I don't feel clean…" Clementine said.

"I guess it's hard for anyone to feel clean when we're washing up in a river. Once we find a place with some nice warm water, we'll definitely feel a lot cleaner." Rebecca responded.

"…Okay…" Clementine said.

"Sounds good, huh?" Rebecca asked.

The girl gave a nod. "Yeah."

They fell silent. Everyone else had just about finished getting cleaned up and were getting dressed.

Bonnie was still holding AJ and Clementine noticed Becca approach the woman to talk to her. Clementine couldn't feel bad for what she said to the woman. She hadn't said anything that wasn't true. Clementine quickly tore her gaze away from Bonnie.

"Was that all?" Rebecca suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Clementine asked.

"Was that all that's bothering you?" Rebecca questioned.

Clementine shook her head. "Becca… She said some things that made me feel… weird…"

"What did she say?" Rebecca asked.

"She was just..." Clementine stopped herself. "Nevermind… It's not a big deal…"

"You sure? You can talk to me, sweetie." Rebecca urged.

"No... Don't worry about it... It's nothing." Clementine said.

Rebecca sighed, but nodded. She wouldn't push the child to talk, she would just have to ask her later when the girl was feeling more comfortable.

Clementine tried to avoid looking at the woman. She didn't want Rebecca to question her anymore. The child couldn't understand, what made those men want to touch her, if she didn't have the same developments of the other girls and women around her. It was something she couldn't figure out.

The two continued to clean themselves, Clementine was back to her rough scrubbing.

Rebecca frowned as she noticed the child's skin was turning red from her harsh scrubbing. "You need some help?"

"No!" Clementine shifted away, eyes wide. "I got it…" The child scrubbed some more before she suddenly winced.

"You okay?" Rebecca asked, noticing her wince.

"Yeah... I'm sore." Clementine told her.

"Where?" Rebecca asked.

"My chest..." Clementine said.

"Can I see it?"

After what had just happened with Becca commenting on her body, Clementine felt extremely hesitant. The girl felt her heart thump a bit faster, but she knew Rebecca wouldn't hurt her. "Umm... I guess."

Rebecca moved closer to the little girl, examining her chest.

Clementine felt uncomfortable, but she trusted Rebecca.

"Looks like you're starting to bud." Rebecca said after a moment.

"Bud?" Clementine echoed.

"Grow breast." Rebecca rephrased.

Clementine looked horrified. "I don't want breast..."

"I know. But that's what every girl gets at some point." Rebecca said.

Clementine sighed, "This sucks..."

"It's not that bad..." Rebecca chuckled.

"It's horrible..." Clementine sighed.

"That's puberty for you." Rebecca said.

"Puberty sucks…" Clementine replied.

"Oh yeah…" Rebecca agreed.

Rebecca noticed the child's sudden bleak mood and spoke again, "Hey, what do you say you help me clean up the baby?"

"Can I?"

"Of course." Rebecca smiled at the child. "Sarah's been asking to help as well."

"Okay…" Clementine was excited to help with AJ. She loved the baby.

* * *

"He's cute, isn't he?" Bonnie asked Becca, motioning to the infant in her arms.

Becca shrugged, "He's alright…"

"What? Only alright?" Bonnie asked. "He's so adorable."

"I guess." Becca replied, sounding uninterested. "Babies are just… weird."

"Hey, babies got it rough…" Bonnie joked. "Imagine having to sit in a diaper all day."

"We wear the same clothes everyday…" Becca scoffed.

"True…" Bonnie said.

Becca was silent for a moment before speaking, "Did you know…?"

"Know what?" Bonnie asked.

"About the abuse? Did you know Carver was hurting Clementine?" Becca questioned.

Bonnie hadn't expected Becca to ask her that. She was at a loss for words. "It's… complicated."

"What do you mean complicated?" Becca inquired.

Bonnie didn't know what to say. "I…"

"Hey," Jane interrupted, approaching them. "You guys good here?"

"Yeah. We're fine." Bonnie said. She was grateful for the distraction. She felt extremely guilty about what had happened with Clementine. She didn't need a constant reminder…

"You know the way back?" Jane asked.

"Yeah…" Bonnie answered. "Why? Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it." Jane said. "I'll be back in ten minutes or so, if not just head back without me and I'll meet you guys…" She told Bonnie before walking off.

Bonnie sighed, "I just can't understand her…"

Becca only shrugged in response. She couldn't understand half the people around her.

* * *

Carlos couldn't shake his anxiousness. He hated the thought of Sarah being out there.

He hadn't wanted her to go, but Rebecca had told him he couldn't coddle her forever. He knew she was right.

After what happened to Clementine... Sarah needed to know how the world was...

As much as Carlos hated to admit it.

He felt bad knowing what happened to Clementine. Had they paid more attention, maybe that child never would have gotten hurt... Maybe she wouldn't be... No... He had to be sure.

He walked to where the child's urine sample was. Looking at the jar, he notices a white film that had appeared on the surface and he felt his heart sank into his chest.

* * *

Luke couldn't stop pacing. The conversation the group had about Clementine was stuck in his mind.

Pregnant.

"She can't be…" He muttered.

She was just a kid. A little kid… Little children don't have babies.

There's a possibility...

"No…" Luke shook his head.

Logically, he knew it could be true, but emotionally, he couldn't accept it.

He felt angry at himself and even more so when he thought about when the girls left this morning. He couldn't even look at the kid.

Clementine had said good morning and he had completely ignored her. Acted like she was invisible, not there…

He couldn't blame the girl if she really hated him. In fact, he wanted her to… then he could at least feel a little better about what happened.

Luke stopped pacing and shook his head, trying to regain his focus. They needed a plan… They needed to figure out what their next move was. He was no help if he kept getting distracted.

He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure.

She's pregnant.

Ignoring the voice inside his head, he made his way into the museum to talk to Carlos. He needed to know… The thought was eating him and he needed to know now.

* * *

Clementine and Sarah watched eagerly as Rebecca showed them how to clean baby AJ.

Rebecca kept the child wrapped in his blanket to keep the chill off him. Unwrapping one tiny arm she washed, rinsed, and rewrapped his arm with the blanket before moving onto the next. She did the same with the infant's legs and feet.

The child had cried a bit from the water before soon calmed.

Once Rebecca was done bathing him, she showed the two girls how to properly dress him.

"What's on his tummy?" Clementine asked innocently.

"This is the stump from the umbilical cord." Rebecca said.

"Does it hurt?" Sarah asked.

"Well, it can be sore. That's why you got to be careful… Babies are super fragile." Rebecca said. She felt a bit awkward as she thought about the chance of little Clementine having a baby of her own...

Swallowing, Rebecca put AJ's diaper on, folding it so it was below the cord.

"How long will he be sore?" Clementine asked.

"Not too long. In a few weeks, the cord will fall off." Rebecca explained.

"Oh…" Clementine said.

"Here, you can close his pamper." Rebecca allowed the child to snap the pamper.

"Like this?" Clementine asked as she closed the diaper.

"Exactly." Rebecca smiled. "You're a great help."

"Thanks… I like helping," Clementine said, smiling back.

"Me too." Sarah said.

"That's good…" Rebecca picked swaddled the infant with his blanket before picking him up, "I think we're ready to get go-"

Before she could finish that sentence, a gunshot rang out. Clementine's eyes widened and Sarah started to let out a loud series of screams.

* * *

Jane wasn't a people person… Bonnie, Sarita, and Rebecca seemed to have everything under control.

Clementine had calmed down. No one was fighting, the baby wasn't crying. So, Jane had assumed it would be fine for her to go walking until they were done washing up.

It wasn't until she heard a gunshot that Jane realized she made a mistake.

She swore under her breath, chastising herself for leaving.

When she heard screaming, she forced herself to turn. She started running, following the direction of the screams. Out of pure adrenaline she managed to run at a good speed, but as she continued to hear gunshots, followed by more screams, she could only hope everyone would still be alive when she made it back.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help._**

* * *

Clementine watched as baby AJ fell from Rebecca's arms.

Sarah let out a piercing scream as the water below turned red with blood.

Baby Alvin was soaked in blood.

Rebecca collapsed to the ground, she had been shot in the chest.

Little Alvin suddenly let out a loud cry. Clementine winced at the sound. She quickly picked baby AJ up. The infant wailed in her arms. Clementine checked the baby for wounds, somehow the child had managed to avoid injury.

Sarah was still screaming.

Clementine shot the teen a look. "Calm down…"

Sarah dropped to her knees. "R-Rebecca, are you okay?"

Clementine looked to Rebecca who was unresponsive. She felt her heart clench.

Sarah was trembling as she checked the woman's pulse. There was none…

The girls jumped as another gunshot rang out.

"We gotta move!" Clementine said to Sarah, grabbing the distraught teen's sleeve and urging her to stand up.

The older girl stood there, motionless. "B-But…"

"Come on!" Clementine tugged her friend, they hid behind a large boulder.

Becca, Bonnie, and Sarita had taken cover behind a fallen tree.

"What do we do now?" Sarita asked frantically.

"We don't get shot." Becca answered.

"The girls! We gotta help the girls!" Sarita said.

"There's no way we can make it over there…" Bonnie said. "We'll get shot."

"They'll be fine…" Becca said.

"I hope so…" Sarita said.

"What are they shooting at, they can't see us!" Becca said.

"They're trying to scare us." Bonnie replied.

"What do we do?" Becca asked.

"We return fire." Came a voice, making them jump.

"Jane… Where have you been?" Sarita asked.

"Doesn't matter." Jane said. "Bonnie and I are going to shoot back. While we're doing that, you get the kids."

Sarita nodded. "Okay."

"What do I do?" Becca asked.

"You stay behind cover." Bonnie said.

"You're kidding, right? I want to help." Becca said.

"It's too dangerous." Jane said. "Just listen to her."

"…Fine…" Becca frowned, frustrated that she couldn't help.

"Ready?" Jane asked Bonnie.

The redhead gave a nod.

The two women slowly made their way from behind cover.

* * *

Clementine's heart was pounding wildly, AJ was still wailing, and she could hear harsh breaths beside her.

Clementine glanced over to her friend, looking worried.

Sarah was breathing fast... Too fast.

The teen's eyes were wide, her hyperventilating growing more intense.

"Calm down, Sarah." Clementine said to her friend. "Just take deep breaths..."

"It's going to be okay..." Clementine said gently. "Everything will be okay. The child felt like having a panic attack herself, because she knew they were far from okay. "We're safe."

"I don't feel safe..." Sarah shook her head.

Clementine couldn't blame her. "I'm here…"

"T-Thanks…"

* * *

Jane and Bonnie stared to return fire in the direction the gunshots were coming from. They continued shooting, covering for the Sarita as the woman dove forward to reach the children.

"Girls, we need to move." Sarita said. "Stay low." She coached.

The three of them made sure to stay low as they scrambled across the damp terrain.

They made their way behind the fallen tree trunk beside Becca.

"Are you okay?" Sarita asked Becca.

Becca rolled her eyes, "Just great. Being shot at is wonderful."

Sarita gave the Sarah a comforting pat on the shoulder as the girl whimpered.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Clementine mumbled, a blank expression on her face.

"No, we're not." Sarita said.

Sarita took the crying infant from Clementine's arms.

"W-Why are they doing this?" Sarah looked at the woman with a confused and terrified expression.

"You're going to be alright." Sarita assured. "We're going to be okay."

"I want my dad..." Sarah whimpered.

"I know... It's alright."

After a few more shots, Jane suddenly cried out, "I hit one."

Everything seemed to stop after that. The people shooting at them seemed have retreated. Jane knew it was too dangerous to chase after them, as much as she wanted to…

After a few moment of waiting, to be safe, Jane and Bonnie returned to the group.

"Everyone okay?" Jane asked the group.

"Yeah…" Sarita said. "I think so…"

"Where's Rebecca?" Bonnie suddenly asked.

Clementine frowned. Rebecca had fallen before they even realized they were under attack; she was sure the woman was dead.

Sarah's eyes widened and she rushed toward the woman.

"Sarah, wait!" Bonnie called, but the teen didn't listen.

The others followed after the young girl.

Jane knelt down beside the woman checking her for a pulse. There was none. "No good..."

Bonnie looked to Rebecca with a frown. The woman gripped Sarah's shoulder. "Sarah, she... She's gone."

Sarah shook her head, looking horrified at the thought. "Maybe I can give her CPR. I can save her..."

Bonnie paused. "You can try…"

Sarah nodded. The teen moved beside the woman, but before she could do anything they noticed movement from Rebecca.

Abruptly, everyone fell silent.

"Rebecca!" Sarah called, through her sniffles and choked sobs. "Are you okay?"

"Sarah, move back." Jane ordered.

But the teen didn't listen. Suddenly, Rebecca grabbed her arm, trying to drag it to her mouth.

"Sarah!" Sarita cried.

Sarah tried to pull away but to no avail. The girl was shrieking fearfully. She thrashed frantically, trying to escape the unrelenting hold.

Jane lunged forward and grabbed the teen girl, yanking her away from Rebecca.

Sarah was trembling in fear as Bonnie pulled her close.

Clementine knew this wasn't the Rebecca they knew anymore.

"We gotta go." Jane said.

Bonnie shook her head. "We can't just leave her."

"What?" Jane asked.

"We can't leave her like this. She wouldn't want to be one of them..." Bonnie said.

"Alright…" Jane sighed. How did a day that should've be peaceful turn so chaotic?

"I'm so sorry, Bec. We'll take care of your boy... Goodbye..." Bonnie raised her gun with a trembling hand. She couldn't pull the trigger.

Jane frowned, she took the gun and aimed. "I'm sorry…" With an unreadable emotion on her face, she pulled the trigger. She then looked to the group.

Sarah was still crying; baby AJ was now wailing along with her. Everyone was wearing frowns.

"Let's go." Jane said.

* * *

"I just need to know… Is she pregnant?" Was the first question that came out of his mouth before Luke could stop himself.

Carlos stayed silent.

Luke frowned, his heart pounding, "Carlos?" Luke called.

The doctor jumped as if he hadn't expected Luke to be there. He looked to Luke and asked, "What is it?"

Luke felt even more nervous, that wasn't like Carlos at all. Something was definitely wrong. "I… uh… wanted to ask about Clementine…. Is… Is she…?" He trailed off, unable to finished the sentence.

"Pregnant?" Carlos finished. The doctor paused for a moment. "As far as I can tell… yes."

"Fuck…" Luke shook his head. "This can't be happening. What are we going to do? What the fuck are we gonna do?"

"We'll figure something out, as soon as everyone gets back." Carlos said.

"Enough of that shit!" Kenny cut in." She's not pregnant!"

"Being in denial won't change anything." Carlos said.

"Can't we just…. Get rid of it or something?" Luke asked.

"That's risky." Carlos said.

"So is having a fucking baby!" Kenny spat.

"I know…" Carlos replied.

"Is there any way to tell if she's pregnant for sure?" Luke asked. "Like without a pregnancy test…"

"She's showing a lot of symptoms, and the urine test I did to confirm pregnancy is pretty accurate." Carlos said.

"Fuck!" Kenny snapped. This is fucking bullshit!"

"They're back!" The suddenly heard Russell exclaimed.

The three men exchanged looks before walking over to see how the girls' trip had gone.

* * *

"We're clear." Jane reported.

Their relief was short lived as walkers started to appear from the woods.

"Fuck..." Jane sighed, she had spoken too soon.

The group did their best to evade the walkers.

They knew they were low on ammo after the sudden shootout, they weren't going to waste it unless it was absolutely necessary.

Jane used her knife to silently take out as many walkers as possible. They couldn't keep fighting the walkers though, it was too much of a risk with the children.

"Run," Jane ordered. "They're closing in."

The group took off. The women made sure to keep close to the kids. It was complete and utter mayhem.

After several excruciating minutes, they finally made it back to Parker's Run.

"Everyone okay?" Bonnie asked.

Clementine and Sarah didn't respond.

Becca scoffed, "Just dandy."

"They're back!" Russell exclaimed, as they approached the museum.

They all entered the museum with glum expressions.

"What's wrong?" Russell asked, sounding concerned. His eyes fell on the baby in Sarita's arms. The baby's blanket was covered in blood. "Whoa… what the hell happened?"

"Sarah?" Carlos called, looking to her daughter. "Are you okay?"

The teen through herself into her father's arms, whimpering a bit.

"W-What happened?" Luke asked.

"R-Rebecca…" Sarah whimpered out.

"Hold on… W-Where's Rebecca?" Luke asked.

"She's dead…" Clementine muttered with a frown.

"What?" Kenny asked, eyes wide. "What the fuck happened?!"

"We were getting cleaned up…. And…. And…" Sarah trailed off, crying in her father's grasp.

"She got shot…" Becca finished.

"Shot by who?" Luke asked.

"We don't know." Bonnie said.

"Shit…" Russell mumbled. "How the fuck…?"

"Are you guys okay? Is anyone hurt?" Mike asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "We should get the baby into some fresh clothes."

"Right…" Sarita said.

"He has a couple changes of outfits…" Bonnie said.

The two woman walked off to find some clothes for the infant.

"We need to move." Jane said.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"We don't know if those assholes are going to come after us…" Jane said.

"Why would they come after us?" Kenny questioned.

Jane didn't answer.

"Maybe it's a good idea to move…" Vince said.

"Where to?" Luke asked. "We're not in the best spot, but were else can we go?"

"What about that observation deck?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah." Vince said. "Did you two ever have any luck in getting the gate open?"

Luke and Jane exchanged looks.

"No…" Luke said honestly.

"I'll go work on it now." Jane said.

"I'll give you a hand." Wyatt offered.

Jane nodded.

With that they went off. The remaining group members turned to each other.

"We got a dilemma here." Kenny said. "We're going to need formula for that kid."

The group realized he was right.

"We have some, but that's not going to last long… Rebecca was nursing, so we didn't think to grab that much…" Vince said.

"Where are we supposed to find baby formula?" Luke asked.

"Howe's has baby formula." Russell said. "I'm sure of it."

Clementine frowned, shaking her head. "I don't want to go back there."

"Of course not, darling." Kenny said. "We're not going back there."

"Look, I know no one wants to go there, but think about it… They have the supplies we need." Russell said.

"I don't know… Russell might be right…" Vince said. "Giving the situation we're in, it might be our best bet."

"Fuck that." Mike said. "We're not going back to that place."

"What's your idea then?" Vince asked.

"I was thinking we head some place warm. Like Texas…" Mike said.

"Texas?" Kenny said. "The fuck?"

"It was just an idea." Mike defended.

"We need to go to Wellington." Kenny said. "They're bound to have food. Medical supplies. Doctors… Formula… Things we need for a baby…" Kenny glanced to Clementine as he finished speaking.

"Kenny… It's freezing up here, man." Mike protested.

"So, you want to go back to the place where a child was raped?" Kenny demanded. "March her right back to that place?"

Clementine lowered her head, trembling a bit at the thought.

Carlos noticed the child's reaction. He let out a sigh, "Girls, why don't you three go play?" He suggested.

"Why? Don't you think we should have a say in what happens?" Becca asked.

"Becca, just go… All right?" Vince said, having also noticed Clementine's behavior.

Becca let out a huff, "Fine."

Sarah and Clementine hesitated, but Becca spoke, "Come on… I'm going to whoop you both in hangman today."

"Go on, honey." Carlos said to his daughter. "Everything is okay."

With much hesitation, Sarah released her father and followed Clementine and Becca.

Carlos waited until the children were out of earshot before speaking, "Listen… If Clementine is pregnant… Which, I'm pretty sure she is, we need a safe place to settle down. Some place where she can… be comfortable."

"No way… You're not going to let her have the baby, are you?" Mike asked in disbelief.

"We don't have much of a choice." Carlos said sadly.

"B-But she's a fucking kid." Mike said. "That baby will kill her."

"He said getting rid of it is risky…" Luke frowned.

"And so is having a baby at eleven!" Russell said.

"We can't abort the child." Carlos said. "We don't have the supplies necessary. Perhaps she'll have a miscarriage, but even that's dangerous. She could suffer from a severe infection."

"So you're saying she's fucked either way?" Kenny grumbled.

"How far along is she?" Vince asked.

"I'm not sure yet. My assumption is two weeks, or so…" Carlos said. "I'll have to speak with her."

"This is our fault…" Luke said. "We let this happen…"

"I can't even think about this shit… It's fucked up beyond words." Mike said.

"Let's check how much supplies we have left to go on… We'll go from there." Vince said.

"Yeah… Sounds good." Luke said.

* * *

About twenty minutes or so later, Jane and Wyatt returned.

As they walked towards the museum, Jane's foot came in contact with an object on the ground. She looked down and a pill bottle caught her eye, she bent over and picked it up.

"What's that?" Wyatt asked.

"Nothing…" Jane quickly said, pocketing the medication.

Wyatt sent her a suspicious look but said nothing.

They went into the museum, informing the group that the gate was opened.

The group gathered their supplies and started towards the deck. Sarita was still carrying AJ who she had fed a bottle and dressed in clean clothes.

They arrived at the deck. It was spacy, but it wouldn't do much to protect them in cold weather. Plus, they would have to find some way to get baby AJ some formula before they ran out. Fortunately, he had enough to last for a few weeks.

* * *

The day carried on pretty normally.

Sarah, Becca and Clementine started playing another game of hangman to pass time.

Becca had to admit, hanging with Clementine and Sarah wasn't as bad as she envisioned it, in fact it was actually quite fun. She was actually starting consider the two girls to be her friends.

Becca suddenly sighed, "What's her deal?"

"Who?" Sarah asked.

"That girl... Jane... She keeps looking over here." Becca said.

Sarah glanced over to Jane before shrugging, "She's kind of weird."

"I like her." Clementine said.

"Of course you do. You're weird too." Becca said to the child.

Clementine rolled her eyes.

"In an interesting sort of way." Becca said.

"Sure..." Clementine replied.

"You know... I heard the grown-ups mention someone being pregnant." Becca told the other two girls.

Clementine and Sarah were surprised to hear that.

"Really? That's cool." Sarah smiled.

Clementine disagreed, shaking her head. "That's tough."

"Yeah. Who would want to have a baby in this world?" Becca said.

"I would like to have kids one day. When I'm married that is." Sarah replied.

"The likelihood of that happening is slim to none." Becca said. "There are zombies trying to eat us. Getting married is the least of our concerns…"

"I guess… But what about when everything gets better. Wouldn't it be nice to get married one day and start a family?" Sarah asked.

Clementine and Becca exchanged looked before Becca spoke, "I'm never having kids." Becca simply said.

"Never say never." Sarah replied.

"I just did." Becca said. "Never."

"But they're so cute. I mean, look at AJ." Sarah said.

"He's alright." Becca responded.

"He's so cute!" Sarah said.

"How do you make a baby?" Clementine suddenly questioned, confusion written on her features.

"You have sex." Becca said without missing a beat.

"Like Luke and Jane were doing?" Clementine asked.

"They were having sex?" Becca asked.

Clementine nodded. The word made her shudder a bit. "They were playing it the other day, out on the deck."

"You don't play it... It's not a game." Becca said. "You know... If that's true though... Maybe Jane's the one they were talking about. She's probably pregnant."

"That's cool." Sarah said. "Babies are so cute."

"It's stupid if you ask me." Becca said.

"So... Sex makes babies?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah... But only sometimes. Not all the time." Becca said. "You don't need to talk about this stuff anyway. You're what, ten?"

"Eleven." Clementine corrected.

"Point is, you're too young for sex. You should be playing with dolls or something." Becca said.

"I haven't touched a doll since I was eight." Clementine shrugged.

"Fair point…" Becca muttered.

"So, would you want kids in the future, Clem?" Sarah asked her younger friend.

"I don't know. Maybe..." Clementine said. She didn't know, especially if it meant she had to do that sex stuff again.

"You know it would hurt like crazy, right? The baby comes out your vagina. Imagine how painful that must be." Becca said.

Clementine frowned at that. "On second thought... I don't want any kids."

"Aww... But who will my kids play with?" Sarah asked.

"If I did have kids, it would be to beat your kids up anyway." Becca said with a smirk.

Sarah gasped. "That's so mean.

Becca chuckled. "It's true."

They fell silent for a bit before Sarah said, "She's looking over again."

"She's been looking at you over and over again, Clementine." Becca told the girl.

"I have no idea why." Clementine said, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Want me to go talk to her?" Becca sounded a bit overprotective as she asked this.

"No…" Clementine said. "I don't mind." It was better than getting ignored. Luke refused to speak to her, he couldn't even spar her a glance anymore. Clementine wondered if he really was disgusted by her and didn't want to admit it.

"So... do you think she's pregnant?" Becca asked.

"I don't know... Maybe..." Clementine said.

"Who else could they be talking about?" Becca asked.

"Not sure." Clementine replied.

"That just makes things even harder. We barely have enough supplies for one baby..." Becca said. "This is the worse timing."

"We'll figure something out…" Clementine said.

"I hope so…" Becca said.

"You know what Sarah… Maybe I'll change my mind…. Maybe one day I might want kids..." Clementine said after a moment.

"Just think about it. Someone to love forever." Sarah smiled.

"That's great. Especially when you're changing diapers and getting no sleep." Becca said sarcastically. "Like I said. I'm never having kids."

* * *

Jane was once again feeling anxious; she couldn't imagine how bad things would get if Clementine carried that baby. Surely that little girl would die.

Jane glanced to the child, who was playing with Sarah and Becca. Jane got to her feet and walked outside, she couldn't sit there any longer. The woman pulled the pill bottle from her pocket, fidgeting with the bottle a bit.

"Hey…" Came a voice.

She jumped as Luke approached.

"Hey…" Jane said.

"You okay?" Luke asked.

"I'm fine…" Jane replied.

"It's a bit awkward being here… don't you think…?" Luke said.

"Let's just forget that happened…" Jane sighed.

"…Alright." Luke wished he could. He glances to the pill bottle Jane was holding. "What's that?" Luke asked.

"I gave it to Clem… Told her to take them." Jane saw no point in lying.

"Why would you do that for?" Luke asked. "You know how she is. She wants to kill herself."

"If she doesn't kill herself, that baby will do it for her!" Jane snapped.

"You don't know that." Luke argued.

"I don't. There's no way that little girl can give birth." Jane replied. "I was trying to trigger a miscarriage. If you want that child to live, you'll help me."

"Help you kill her?!" Luke exclaimed.

"I'm not trying to kill her! I'm trying to help her!" Jane said.

"By giving a suicidal kid a bottle of pills?" Luke grumbled.

"Anti-inflammatory drugs can trigger miscarriages." Jane replied.

"Carlos will figure something out…" Luke said. "Just stay away from the kid…"

"What?" Jane was surprised to hear him say that.

"Stay away from Clem… I'm not going to let you hurt her…" Luke said. "She's been through enough."

"What about you?" Jane asked.

"Me?" Luke asked back.

"You think you're not hurting her?" Jane demanded. "You can't even look at the kid!"

"You wanna know why I can't look at her? Because everytime I look at her I see it! What he did to her! What he made us do!" Luke snapped.

"What?" Jane was taken aback by what he said.

Luke raised a brow. "Hmm?"

"What did he make you do?" Jane asked.

Luke paled. His expression of guilt said it all.

Jane's eyes widened. "You had sex with her?"

"I…" Luke trailed off.

"You had SEX with a fucking KID?" Jane asked.

"I… I didn't want to." Luke said. "Carver… He had me tied up… He made her do it…"

"That fucking bastard…" Jane said, shaking her head with a disgusted look on her face.

"I've been trying to forget but… I can't." Luke said.

"Was that what you were doing? Trying to forget?" Jane said.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Was that why you agreed to have sex with me?" Jane questioned.

"Does that really matter… I thought you wanted to forget about that?" Luke responded.

"Nevermind…" Jane replied.

There was a brief silence before Luke spoke up again.

"Anyway… I'm been thinking, what if that's my baby…?" Luke said.

"I won't say it's not possible… But I doubt it." Jane said.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"She was throwing up before." Jane said. "And even though it could've been from stress, I'm going to have to assume that Carver is the one who got her pregnant…"

"This is my fault…" Luke said. He understood now why Clementine had claimed he hurt her. It was because he had unintentionally led her to her rapist.

"You can't beat yourself up about it…" Jane said. As much as she hated the thought of what happened to poor Clementine, there was nothing they could do about it now. "We gotta move on from what happened."

"It's not that simple." Luke said.

"No, it's not." Jane agreed. "And a baby will only make it harder."

Luke frowned, realizing that was true.

"That baby is going to be a constant reminder of what happened." Jane said. "Even if by some miracle it doesn't kill Clem, it'll be torturing her. It's better to just get rid of it."

"Carlos said, a miscarriage is dangerous…" Luke said. "There's a chance of infection…"

"Having the baby is even more dangerous. She already in pain, it's only going to get a lot worse." Jane stated. "What if it is your baby? Do you know how hard it'll be to look at that kid and be reminded of what happened?"

"That's already happening everytime I see Clem." Luke said. "If the baby is mine…. I'll take care of it, just like I will even if it doesn't belong to me. It's my fault this happened to her…"

"A baby will only make things worse. For both of you… Do you really want her to suffer more than she already has?" Jane asked.

"Of course not…" Luke replied.

"Then listen to me..." Jane said. "We gotta get rid of that baby…"

Luke didn't know what to say. His stomach was churning at the thought. He didn't want Clementine to have a kid this young, but Jane's tactics would kill the child.

"Trust me…" Jane said.

"I can't." Luke said after a moment. "I can't do that to her…"

"Fine…" Jane sighed.

The two stopped talking after that. The silence was tense and awkward. Luke opted to go back inside leaving Jane to her thoughts.

* * *

Night came quickly. The group turned in for bed. Kenny and Sarita had spent the day caring for baby Alvin. Sarita had him for a majority of the night, taking care of his needs if he woke. Then Kenny offered to take over while she got some rest.

As the night carried on, Clementine was rouse by a gentle nudging. "Jane?" The child mumbled sleepily.

"Shh..." Jane shushed her. "Get up."

"What's wrong?" Clementine asked.

"Nothing, kiddo. Just... Just come outside." Jane spoke in a quiet voice. She didn't want to wake anyone. She offered the child her hand Clementine accepted it.

She helped the girl to her feet before heading outside.

Clementine was confused. The child shivered a bit from the cold breeze. She noticed it was snowing. That was one more problem to add on top of everything. The deck would in no possible way protect them from the cold. They needed to find some place warm, especially with a baby with them.

Jane stood there without saying a word for a while.

"Jane?" Clementine called, wondering why the woman had brought her outside in the middle of the night, only to stand in complete silence.

"Clementine…" Jane muttered after a moment.

"Yes?" Clementine asked.

"Did you take those pills?" Jane asked.

The girl rubbed sleep from her eyes, yawning a bit, "What?"

"The pills I gave you. Did you take any of them?" Jane asked.

"No…" Clementine said honestly. "Why?" She didn't see how it mattered.

Jane took a deep breath, "You listen to me, and you listen clearly..."

Clementine nodded, surprised by the woman's strict tone.

"You see those stairs." Jane motioned to the set of steps that lead down the deck.

"Yes?" Clementine was even more confused by this.

"You need to jump off the deck..." Jane said.

Clementine paused for a moment, thinking her half asleep mind had heard wrong, either that or she was still sleeping and this was all some weird dream. "W-What?"

Jane sighed, "Look… I know you might be scared, but you have to do this… Either that, or take the pills."

Clementine shook her head. "No… What's going on? What's wrong with you?"

"If you're scared to jump by yourself, turn around and let me push you." Jane said.

"What?" Clementine asked again.

"Do you want to die? That baby will kill you." Jane snapped, sounding annoyed.

"Baby?" Clementine repeated. "What baby?"

"You're pregnant." Jane told the little girl.

Clementine was sure her heart stopped at that point. The child's eyes went wide. "I'm… pregnant?"

"Yes. And if you don't want that baby to kill you, you'll listen to me." Jane said.

Clementine didn't react. Not even when her arm was grasped. Or when she was yanked towards the stairs. She was too shocked to do anything.

"What the fuck is going on out here?" Kenny's voice was heard as the man came outside, cradling AJ in his arms.

Jane said nothing, still grasping Clementine's arm.

Kenny rushed towards them, looking furious.

Jane released the child which caused the girl to nearly tumble down the steps, however a sudden tug pulled her back.

Kenny had grabbed the girl just in time.

Clementine started whimpering, and it wasn't long before whimpers turned into sobs.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Kenny snapped at Jane. "Are you trying to fucking kill her?!"

"I… No. Of course not…" Jane said.

The baby was crying at this point. Kenny hushed the child. He pulled Clementine into a hug, the girl was tense. "It's alright, darling." He shot Jane a glare before leading the sobbing eleven-year-old inside.

Kenny handed the baby off to Sarita, who had woken from the noise. He then comforted Clementine to the best of his ability. Eventually the child did calm down. "Let's get some rest, sweetie."

Clementine didn't think she was going to be able to sleep. Not after what she'd been told... But she tried her best. She didn't know what to do… She had no idea how they could figure this one out.

* * *

Clementine had laid on the cold ground. She tossed restlessly, due to her fear, and sadness. And she was worried that her dreams would be only nightmares of how she was continuously tortured by Carver. Or dreams of her parents or Lee telling her how disappointed they were that she had "allowed" that man to touch her...

The girl woke up the next morning, feeling as if she never slept.

She didn't want to move, she just wanted to lay there and cry. She couldn't understand why this was happening to her.

Eventually the child did get up, due to urging from her two friends to come eat with them.

Clementine struggled to keep her outward display normal, or at least indifferent but her insides were telling a conflicting tale.

She was emotionally and physically drained.

And she was scared. No, she was terrified.

"You're doing it again." Sarah's voice pulled the child from her thoughts.

"What?" Clementine asked.

"You're sucking your thumb." Sarah said.

Clementine hadn't realized she was doing so but she didn't stop. The habit had become like a reflex whenever she was stressed.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked the younger girl.

"I'm fine." Clementine said, finally pulling her thumb from her mouth.

"You don't seem fine." Becca said.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay." Clementine snapped.

"Okay… No need to get snappy." Becca replied. "Just trying to help you…."

Clementine sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…"

"What's wrong with you?" Becca asked.

"Nothing…" Clementine said. The girl stood up.

"Wait, are you going to finish eating?" Sarah asked.

"No…" Clementine said, so sadly that they could take no offence, and speaking more to herself than them. "I want to be alone…"

With that the little girl walked away, leaving her friends confused.

The child walked to the other side of the museum and sat down. She just wanted to be alone.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps approaching. The girl did not look up even as the person stopped in front of her.

"Clem..." Jane said.

With a sigh, Clementine looked to the woman before returning her gaze to the floor. She sat unmoving, her face revealing no expression.

"Clementine... We need to talk." Jane said to her.

"Do we?" Clementine replied.

"Yes... It's important." Jane said.

The child raised a brow. "What?"

"You need to get rid of that baby. Somehow, someway. If you don't want to die." Jane stated.

Clementine didn't say anything for a moment. "What if… What if I don't want to?"

"This is life or death." Jane said. "That thing will tear you apart from the inside."

"Thing? You mean the baby…?" Clementine sounded annoyed by Jane's words.

"It's not a baby. Not yet. It's only a fetus." Jane responded.

"A fetus." Clementine repeated the unfamiliar word.

"If you get rid of it now, it wouldn't even feel it." Jane told her.

"You mean kill it?" Clementine asked. "You want me to kill a baby?"

"It's not a baby." Jane said again.

"It's alive, it has rights." Clementine said.

"You're making a mistake." Jane told her.

"How do you know…?" Clementine suddenly asked.

"What?" Jane questioned back.

"If I'm pregnant…" Clementine said. "How do you know?"

"Everyone knows… It's obvious…" Jane said.

Clementine frowned. Why hadn't they told her?

"Clementine, you know I'm right. This is what has to be done. It's not that hard." Jane said.

"Not that hard?" Clementine asked in disbelief. "You're telling me to kill a baby and you're saying it's not that hard?!"

"You know what the right choice is… This is about survival!" Jane said.

"I guess that's the difference between me and you." Was Clementine's bitter response. "What's the point of being alive, when you're only surviving? I don't want to keep surviving; I want to live."

Their argument was drawing attention from the other group members.

Kenny and Luke approached, looking concerned.

"What's going on?" Luke asked.

"You starting some shit again?" Kenny snapped at Jane. "Why don't you back the fuck off."

"What happened?" Luke asked, unaware of the prior night's events.

"Your little girlfriend here tried to push Clementine down some stairs last night." Kenny said.

Luke's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"I was trying to terminate her pregnancy." Jane said. "You all know that baby will kill her."

"She'll be fine. We'll figure something out." Kenny said. He didn't want to believe Clementine was actually pregnant… He only wished it wasn't true.

"Not fast enough." Jane said.

"Don't I get a say? It's my body… and my baby…" Clementine uttered, looking to the three adults.

"What are you going to do then?" Jane asked.

"I'll raise it. I'll take care of it." Clementine said.

Jane shook her head at the child's response. "That's if you live to see the kid's birth or even survive the birthing."

"Get out… Just go before I kill you…" Kenny said.

Without a word Jane walked away.

Luke looked to Clementine, who was seated on the ground wearing a sad expression. He wanted to comfort the child, but he couldn't bring himself to say a word to her. He tore his gaze from her and turned to walk away.

* * *

By the time night had fallen Clementine still had too much on her mind. Becca and Sarah had fallen asleep, so she couldn't distract herself by playing.

She had spoken to Carlos, who had confirmed her pregnancy. Clementine had wondered why the group was acting like she had some sort of disease or something but now that Jane had let the cat out of the bag, she understood.

She couldn't help but wonder what her parents would think… What Lee would think. Would they be disappointed? Would they let her keep the baby, or would they have made her get rid of it?

Jane said it wasn't a baby yet… But that didn't change the fact that it was alive. It had rights.

Sarah's words rang in her mind. _Just think about it. Someone to love forever._

Clementine thought the idea did sound nice. Having someone to love for the rest of her life. Someone to love her back. But it wasn't going to be easy. She had no idea how to take care of a baby, especially when she was just a kid herself.

There was too much going on. She just needed some air.

Clementine made her way outside and noticed Jane, who was looking through a telescope.

"Jane?" Clementine called gently.

"Aww, shit." Jane swore, jumping slightly as if she was a child who had been caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

"What are you doing?" Clementine asked.

Jane looked to the young girl. "Listen... I'm sorry... I gotta go."

Clementine furrowed her brows. "Go?"

"Yeah... The longer I stay the harder it will be. It is how it is..." Jane said.

"Go where?" Clementine asked.

"Just... away, okay?" Jane said. "You know... I lost my sister through this..."

"...I'm sorry, Jane..." Clementine said.

Jane paused for a minute. "I'm not going to stick around and... And watch it happen to you, too. You know the score. You're a smart kid..."

"It won't... Why don't you believe in me?"

"I do... But give it enough time, and everyone's luck runs out." Jane said. "And a baby will only make it worse. Even if you do survive... how are you going to raise it? You're just a kid yourself."

"I don't know... I didn't ask for this to happen..." Clementine replied.

"Of course you didn't. But that doesn't change the fact that it's happening." Jane said. "You might want to think more about my advice."

Clementine shook her head. She wasn't going to kill her baby.

"Your choice..." Jane muttered.

Clementine just nodded.

"Listen... When the shit hits the fan, 'cause it always does, remember that you can make it on your own. Having people around can be nice, but it's usually better to be by yourself." Jane said. "That means no babies, no groups. It's not an option for everyone... If things start heading south don't let them drag you down with them. You don't owe them anything. They'll make you feel like you do. Like it's all one happy family. But when push comes to shove... You'll see..."

"They're good people Jane. They've helped me. I wouldn't be here without them." Clementine told her.

"Did they help you when you were being raped?" Jane asked, sounding a bit harsh.

Clementine was taken aback by her harsh words. "I... N-No..."

"Exactly." Jane said. "If they'd been helping you, you wouldn't be in this predicament now. You wouldn't be pregnant..."

Clementine didn't know how to respond to that. Those words hurt to hear, because Clementine knew it was the truth…

"You take care of yourself. I mean that." Jane said. The woman suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out an object. "Here."

Clementine looked to the object, raising a brow. "A nail file?"

"Versatility is not overrated." Jane said.

Clementine accepted the object and said, "Thanks."

"Yeah..." Jane replied. "I um... I gotta go."

Clementine watched as the woman turned and made her way down the steps.

Clementine took a seat on the deck. She sat there for a few minutes getting lost in her thoughts.

"Hey..." Luke's voice met her ears. "I thought you'd be asleep by now. You okay?"

"No..." Clementine answered honestly.

"Yeah... I guess no one is really okay..." Luke sighed.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me." Clementine said.

Luke looked surprised. "Why'd you think that?"

"You were ignoring me... At least it seemed like it..." Clementine said.

Luke had forgetting how perceptive the child was. He hadn't even thought about her feelings. He felt like such an asshole. "I'm sorry, Clem... I just... I couldn't talk to you... I had my reasons, okay?"

"Because I'm pregnant?" Clementine stated.

"I... Yeah..." He wouldn't deny it. It was the truth.

"You think it's my fault...?" Clementine asked.

"What? Of course not, Clem..." Luke said. "That's all Carver's fault... And no matter what happens, we'll figure something out..."

"...Okay." Clementine muttered.

Luke suddenly let out a sigh, "Temperature's dropping. We're low on food. I think we've gotta stay put a while, you know. Figure out our next move. I'm thinking as soon as it gets light, Jane and I should go explore, see if we can find some place to scavenge."

Clementine didn't respond.

Luke looked down to the girl. "What?"

"Jane left... for good." Clementine informed him.

"What? When?" Luke asked.

"Just now."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious? She didn't say anything about leaving to me. What the fuck?!"

Clementine flinched at Luke's tone, but said nothing.

Luke moved away from the child, Clementine followed him with her eyes.

"Dammit!" Luke said, punching his fist into the wall.

"Hey, keep it down." Kenny came outside and hissed at Luke. AJ was in his arm, crying.

"Sorry, I… Sorry. Just… Jane's gone." Luke said.

"Really?! Luke, of all the childish bullshit." Kenny huffed.

Luke shot him a glare. "Childish? God dammit, Kenny, you know what…Just... lay off."

"No... You're out here throwing a tantrum about a psychopath who just tried to toss a child down some stairs." Kenny hissed. "I'm not going to lay off."

"What do you want from me?" Luke rolled his eyes.

"Please, stop fighting..." Clementine said.

"You know what, your girlfriend was out of her damn mind. I say good riddance that she's gone. And if you're feeling blue balled about it, maybe you should go join her then." Kenny said.

"What?" Luke asked.

"You think we didn't know what you were doing?" Kenny grumbled. "Clearly didn't take that long to open a lock…"

"What are you trying to say?" Luke questioned defensively.

"Don't play dumb. We're pretty aware that you two assholes were spending the last few days rolling around like fucking teenagers." Kenny said. "And you know what, you were supposed to helping the damn group. That shows exactly how much you care about these people's lives."

"I… I'm sorry, okay? I fucked up...but y'know what? Jane, she made an offer and... Jesus Christ, I needed it, okay? I mean, look around you, okay? Everything is SHIT. So forgive me for wantin' to enjoy ONE MOMENT of somethin' else." Luke snapped.

"Fine... We have other things that are more important, so get your shit together..." Kenny said.

"Is everything alright?" Mike inquired, drawn outside by the noise.

"Everything is fine." Luke said.

Clementine knew that was the most overused line she'd ever heard.

"We gotta find some place to go. We're gonna need a good place to raise Alvie. And that ain't here, we gotta push on." Kenny said. "We head north, get to Wellington. That's our best shot."

"There's a town across the river." Wyatt said. "Saw it earlier... We could head that way."

"That could be a good stop along the way." Kenny said.

Bonnie nodded. "That's true. That could be a whole town full of supplies, and not that far from here!"

"Whole lot better than here, anyway. Looks like that's our best bet." Kenny declared.

"There's no way." Carlos spoke up. "Clementine is in no condition to travel that far."

"Well, we can't stay here!" Kenny said. "I'll carry her if I have to."

"...No... I'm fine." Clementine said. She didn't want to be a burden. "Really. I'm okay."

"It's dangerous. You need to rest." Carlos said to the girl.

"I said I'm fine." Clementine claimed. She wasn't going to hold the group back. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. Pregnant or not, she was just as capable as she was before.

"See. She's fine. We need to get on the road as soon as possible. We leave at first light." Kenny said.

"What? No. Let's just take a few days. Let everyone rest up." Luke said.

"We've got that baby formula…" Bonnie pointed out.

"That won't help the rest of us. And what about shelter? We'll freeze out here." Mike said.

"If we're leaving tomorrow… I'll at least have to give Clementine another examination." Carlos mentioned.

"Why?" Clementine asked. "I'm not hurt."

"Maybe not on the outside… But… I need to check you down there." Carlos said.

Clementine's eyes widened. The girl quickly shook her head. "Please don't. I don't want you to check me there…"

"I think… It's probably best, Clem." Luke said to the eleven-year-old.

"Normally I don't agree with him, but Luke's right, darling. You have to let the doctor check you…" Kenny said.

The girl looked to the two men who were both wearing serious expressions.

"Okay… Okay, I'll do it." Clementine said.

"Alright. That settles it." Kenny said. "We leave tomorrow."

"Look, we should all try to get some sleep. It's been a long day." Mike said.

"Clementine, come on over here, sweetie." Sarita called to the child.

Clementine did so without a protest.

Kenny came over and handed Sarita the baby. "You try to get some rest, darling." Kenny said to Clementine.

"Okay…" Clementine agreed.

"Where are you going?" Sarita asked her boyfriend.

"Just… Outside for a bit…" Kenny said. "Don't worry about me."

Kenny walked off without another word.

Clementine leaned against Sarita, resting her head on the woman's shoulder. Eventually she drifted off, feeling exhausted.

* * *

The next morning Becca and Sarah noticed Clementine was still acting distant.

"Okay... what's wrong?" Becca asked.

"Nothing." Clementine replied.

"How come you won't talk to us...?" Becca questioned.

Clementine was quiet before she sighed, "...Jane told me I was pregnant..."

"What?" Becca asked.

"How...? You're just a kid." Sarah said, looking horrified at the thought.

"I don't know... You guys said sex makes babies..." Clementine said.

"Yeah... But not all the time." Sarah said.

Clementine lowered her head. "I guess it worked this time..."

"What did my dad say?" Sarah asked.

"That I was..." Clementine said. "...I don't know what I'm going to do..."

Becca frowned. She felt bad for Clementine. "How pregnant are you?"

Clementine only shrugged.

The girls looked as they saw Carlos approach them.

"Good morning, girls." Carlos said. "Clementine... Are you ready?"

"I guess…" Clementine answered.

"I'm just going to do a quick check up… To make sure everything is alright..." Carlos reassured the child. "We'll go right next door."

"If Sarah goes…" Clementine said.

"What?" Carlos asked.

"I'll do it if Sarah goes… Only if Sarah goes." Clementine said. She wanted her friend to be there with her, she'd feel a bit more comfortable then.

Carlos opened his mouth to protest but before he could say anything Sarah said, "Okay."

"I'll go too." Becca said.

"Alright," Carlos sighed. "After you finish with breakfast."

"I don't like breakfast." Clementine said.

"It's not what you like it's what you need. You're still growing. If you don't eat you'll harm yourself... and the baby." Carlos replied.

"It's not a baby. It's only a fetus." Clementine said. "That's what Jane told me."

"It can still feel..." Becca cut in. "If you don't eat, you'll kill it. Before it even has a chance at life."

"...Fine. I'll eat." The child said.

"Come find me when you're done." Carlos said.

He left the girls to eat.

Once they finished with their meal, Sarah and Becca had to practically force their friend to her feet.

"It'll be okay, Clem…" Sarah reassured the younger girl.

"I don't want to do this." Clementine said.

"You have to..." Sarah said. "We'll be right there with you."

They got outside, and Clementine looked ready to panic.

"Doc's in there waiting for you." Kenny told the girl.

Clementine looked to him with a frown, "I don't want to! I don't-"

"Quiet down or you'll bring walkers." Kenny said sternly.

Clementine went quiet, looking a bit hurt.

"You need to let the doctor look at you to make sure you're going to be okay." Kenny told her.

Clementine still looked hesitant.

"Will you do it for me? Please?" Kenny asked. "If anything happens, or if you get too scared, all you have to do is call me and I'll come in with my gun, ready to shoot."

"Okay, Kenny…" Clementine said. She knew he meant what he said. Kenny would protect her with his life.

Clementine entered the other room, with Becca and Sarah beside her.

The child was surprised to see not only the doctor was there, but also Bonnie and Sarita.

There was a blanket laid on the ground, the bag of medical supplies Jane had found was beside it.

Carlos spotted her and motioned her over. "Remove your pants and your underwear. Then lay down."

Clementine's heart was beating fast. She slowly did as the doctor told.

"I know you're not going to like this… But I need to know when Carver started to have sexual intercourse with you." Carlos told her.

"Intercourse…?" Clementine asked back.

"When did Carver start to have sex with you?" Carlos asked the child.

Clementine was silent.

"Clementine, you have to tell him." Bonnie said.

Clementine shot the woman a glare. "Why don't you just mind your own damn business?"

Bonnie sighed. She felt hurt, but she couldn't blame the child for acting that way.

"Clem… We need to know. It's important…" Sarita said.

Clementine didn't respond.

"Please?" Sarita urged.

"… The day before Rebecca had her baby…" Clementine said. "…Are you going to get rid of it?"

"No… I'm not equipped to perform such a surgery. You could bleed to death… and even if it did succeed, which is unlikely with your age, you would have a high chance of getting many types of diseases. We'd need a clean room or there's a chance that you could die from any kind of bacteria that enters your body…" Carlos explained to her.

"What are you going to do then?" Clementine asked.

"I have to look inside you… Do you understand?" Carlos said.

"Will… Will we leave after that?" Clementine asked.

"Yes…" Carlos said.

"Okay..." Clementine felt Sarah take her hand.

Sarah offered her friend a smile as she held the younger girl's hand. She tried her best not to think about memories of when they were in a similar situation. That day with Troy…

Sarah quickly shook those thoughts away. She didn't want to think about what Troy did to her friend… Or how he threatened to do it to her…

Sarah gulped as she held Clementine's hand, her friend needed her and she was going to be there for her like Clementine was always there for Sarah.

Clementine clenched her eyes closed, but she started to panic when she found herself suddenly being restrained.

The child opened her eyes and started thrashing, trying to break from Bonnie and Sarita's holds. "No! NO! NO!"

"It's okay…" Bonnie said.

"You'll be alright, sweetie." Sarita said.

"LET ME GO! NO! NO!" Tears were falling as the child tried to escape. "PLEASE! PLEASE!"

The two women kept the child pinned down, keeping her from kicking the doctor while Carlos checked her.

Clementine was screaming remarkably loud. She struggled even more as Carlos used a cotton ball to apply peroxide to her vaginal area.

Eventually he finished and Bonnie and Sarita released the child.

Clementine continued to cry as Sarita comforted the little girl, telling her how brave she was, while she helped the young girl dress herself.

Carlos went outside to find Luke and Kenny, both looking concerned.

"Is she okay?" Kenny asked, disturbed by what he just heard.

"She's fine… She had some minor bleeding… I'll have to check her everyday to make sure she heals properly. We can't afford her catching an infection." Carlos said.

"How far is her pregnancy…?" Luke asked.

"Two weeks at the most…" Carlos replied.

Luke nodded. "And at the least?"

"Probably a week at the least." Carlos said. "I'd say she's due sometime in August or September, since we're approaching January now..." Carlos said.

"This is fucked up… A kid's going to have a baby…" Luke shook his head.

Kenny sighed. "Just when we thought things couldn't get worse…"

After Clementine had calmed down, and dressed herself, Sarita fed AJ a bottle then the group headed out.

* * *

"How you holding up, Clem?" Luke asked the child as they walked.

"It's cold..." The child simply said.

"This is crazy..." Luke grumbled. "We're going to be trapped in a damn blizzard. We should've stayed put..."

It was snowing pretty hard. The wind blew harshly and the snow came down in white feathery piles.

"Complaining's not going to do us any good." Vince pointed out. "We just gotta keep moving, get the kids out of this storm."

"We gotta find some food. Get someplace warm." Kenny added.

"This look like someplace warm to you?" Luke spat. "We can still turn back."

"That's not an option." Kenny said. "Everybody hang in there. We gotta keep movin' if we're gonna make it to that town before nightfall."

"You don't even listen to anyone else. You just go on barking orders." Luke snapped. "You gotta lighten up, okay? You're pushing 'em too hard."

"I'm just doing what has to be done. Like always. Keeping people alive." Kenny retorted.

"Stop fighting!" Clementine exclaimed. "You're not helping anything by arguing."

"Hello!?" A voice called from a distance.

"What is this?" Mike asked.

Everyone looked over to see a boy approaching.

"He doesn't look like much..." Bonnie said.

"That ain't the point." Kenny said.

"Hello? Please?" The boy called.

"I don't like this..." Kenny muttered.

"Maybe he's in trouble..." Sarah said. "We should help him."

"No way." Becca disagreed.

"Doesn't look like he can do much harm. Besides, he's clearly out numbered." Vince said.

"Yeah. He'd be pretty stupid to try anything." Russell agreed.

"I don't know..." Bonnie said. "Somethin' ain't right about this."

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Carlos spoke.

"Right... We'll see what he wants." Luke said. "Everybody keep your eyes open."

"Hello." The boy stopped once he was in front of the group. "I am Arvo."

"What's going on here, friend?" Kenny asked, drawing his gun and keeping it hidden behind him. "You got people with you? Where are they?"

Luke took a look around. "You're not out here on your own, are you?"

Before anyone could react people came from the woods, all wielding guns of their own.

Clementine could tell this wasn't going to be good.

"These are my friends. We stay in the wood for safety..." Arvo told the group members.

"We don't want any trouble." Wyatt spoke, trying to calm the situation.

"Where did you get bag?" Arvo asked, motioning towards the bag Carlos was carrying.

"Bag?" Luke repeated.

Arvo nodded, a fake smile on his face. "Yes. Where did you get it?"

"A woman who was with us... She said she found it..." Russell answered.

"Where is this woman now?" Arvo asked.

"She's gone. She left the group." Clementine answered.

"It's a trap! I know it!" Arvo shook his head.

Arvo spoke to his group in a language they didn't understand.

Another man started to speak.

"What's he saying?" Becca asked.

"I told them you are the ones who robbed me." Arvo said. "We want you to put down your guns so we can take your things."

"That's fucking crazy." Vince said. "That's not happening."

"Whoa, whoa, hang on now." Luke said.

"What the hell?" Kenny asked.

"Nobody get excited." Mike said.

"D-Dad..." Sarah called fearfully, clutching her father.

"Stay behind me." Carlos ordered to his daughter.

Sarita was still holding AJ in her arms, she moved towards Clementine and grabbed the child's hand as everyone started to draw their weapons.

"You're outnumbered." Vince said. "It'd be wise to back off..."

"This can be easy for you." Arvo said. "All of you just put your guns down. This will be fine."

"Fine my ass!" Kenny snapped.

"No way." Russell said, "All of you just walk away. We didn't rob anyone."

"Everyone just calm down." Mike said.

Arvo's group was speaking to each other again.

"Please... We have a baby!" Clementine said.

"You have a baby with you?" Arvo asked.

AJ started crying. Sarita shushed the child while still clutching Clementine's hand.

"Yeah. So back the FUCK off!" Kenny said.

They were still speaking a language unfamiliar to the group.

"Drop that now, or I'm gonna fucking shoot it." Kenny yelled. "I'll do it! Drop it!"

Countless threats were being thrown around by the group members.

"We need to get the children to a safe spot." Carlos said to Sarita. "We have to move now."

Sarita nodded. "Okay…"

"No... I want to help." Clementine said, trying to shake her hand loose from Sarita's grip.

"Clementine, stop it, sweetie." Sarita scolded.

Clementine didn't listen.

Becca frowned, a realization dawning on her. "These are the people who shot Rebecca..."

"What?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm sure... It has to be them." Becca said.

"Holy shit..." Wyatt muttered.

"Just shoot these assholes!" Becca snapped "If you don't, I will."

Becca grabbed at the gun in Wyatt's hand.

"Becca, hold on!" Wyatt said.

The two fought over the gun when suddenly it went off. The noise was deafening.

The bullet ripped through Wyatt's pants and hit the ground. Fragments from the bullet shell grazed Becca who let out a hiss in pain.

That shot was all it took for chaos to break out.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Becca winced at the stinging pain in her leg.

Gunshots were being fired around her. She knew if they didn't do something soon people were going to die.

The teen jumped when she felt Wyatt seize her by the shoulder, dragging her behind cover.

"You can't stay out in the open like that!" Wyatt said to her.

Becca gave no response.

The teen examined the scene.

One of the Russian men had been injured and was bleeding out on the ground. Arvo and his sister were behind a tree. Arvo's sister had been shot in the shoulder by Vince, and Arvo was applying pressure to her wound.

Becca could hear crying and quickly realized it was Sarah, who wasn't that far from her. Carlos was trying to comfort his daughter.

Becca nearly rolled her eyes. Sarah needed to grow up, or the kid was going to get killed.

"Shit!" Mike swore. "I'm hit! I'm hit!"

Becca's attention was drawn by the shout. The teen watched as Mike stumbled back, clutching his arm.

"Mike, get over here!" Bonnie yelled.

"Fuck you! You started this shit!" Kenny was shooting at a man who had taken cover behind a boulder.

"You okay?" Russell asked Wyatt.

"I'm fine..." Wyatt said. The bullet had ripped through his pants leg, but did not draw blood. He glanced to Becca, "Are you okay, Becca?"

Becca gave a nod, wearing a frown. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry… Like I said, I'm fine." Wyatt said.

"Now's not the time." Russell reminded. He glanced to Becca and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be okay..." Becca said, gritting her teeth a bit a blood trickled from her wounded leg. She ignored the pain. "I can help."

"We need to stay down." Wyatt protested. "If we go out there, one of us is going to get shot."

"We can't just sit here." Becca argued.

"You don't have a choice." Russell said. "You're injured. Wyatt and I will cover the others."

Becca frowned. She hated not being able to help.

"Got it..." Wyatt said.

Becca watched as the two men went to help the others. She felt helpless again. She really hated that feeling.

* * *

Gunshots echoed through the air.

Clementine felt her head start to throb. Baby Alvin was wailing loudly. It was too much noise. Too loud!

The child threw her hands over her ears, clenching her eyes shut tightly.

Sarita sent the child a worried look. "You okay, sweetie?"

Clementine didn't respond. Nor did she move.

Sarita frowned, the girl seemed to be zoning out. "It's okay…" Sarita tried to reassure the child. "We're going to be okay."

Sarita turned as Luke suddenly ducked behind the wall she and Clementine were behind.

"Are you okay?" The woman asked the young man.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Luke said. "We… We gotta do something."

"Like what?" Sarita asked.

"I don't know… Something." Luke said. His gaze slowly drifted to Clementine, who was letting out whimpers. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know…" Sarita said honestly.

"Shit…" Luke sighed. "She's not hurt, is she?"

"Not as far as I can tell." Sarita said.

Luke frowned, he moved to the child and reached out to touch her. When he did the girl let out a yell. Luke quickly pulled back.

* * *

Becca frowned hearing Kenny swearing viciously as he kept behind cover, unable to land any shots.

The Russian woman started yelling to her group member, who she called Vitali. The woman seemed to be trying to convince him to stop shooting, but he wasn't listening.

Becca slouched her shoulders. If only she had a gun... She could help. She could help finish all of this mayhem.

A loud screamed, pulled her attention a few feet away. Becca looked and noticed Clementine was now screaming bloody murder. Her little friend was clearly in panic mood. Becca was unsure why, but that didn't stop her from going to her friend's defense.

She made her way toward the wall Clementine was behind, making sure to stay low.

"What did you do?" Becca immediately asked Luke.

Luke jumped at her suddenly voice, looking taken aback. "What?"

"What did you do to her?" Becca repeated.

"Nothing." Luke said. "She… She's having one of her episodes."

"Can we help her? What should we do?" Becca asked. She had seen Clementine get like that a few times now, but it didn't make her any less concerned.

"Let her work through it." Luke said. As much as he hated seeing Clementine in that state, he knew there wasn't much he could do to help her. Especially not with the situation they were in at the moment.

Becca frowned, watching as her friend whimpered and started rocking back and forth.

"Shit. Okay... Okay, we gotta do something, y'all. We're pinned down here. We can't just sit here and let this guy take potshots at us until he runs out of ammo. We gotta do somethin'." Luke said.

"So do something genius..." Becca sarcastically said to Luke.

Luke shot her a look. "Yeah... Yeah, alright."

"This don't have to get any worse than it already is! You can just go!" Kenny shouted.

The man, Vitali said something in Russian.

"English, mother fucker!" Kenny spat.

"I kill every one of you!" Vitali snapped.

The Russian woman was yelling to Vitali again.

"What the fuck are you saying?" Vince demanded.

Luke looked up to see where exactly everyone was located, quickly ducking back down when one of the men took a shot in his direction.

"What's your plan?" Sarita asked him.

"I'm going to try to get an angle on him, while he's distracted."

Sarita frowned. "Are you sure? That might be a bad idea. Let them handle it..."

"No… No… Someone's gotta go. We can't just sit here." Luke said.

"Alright." Becca agreed.

"What about Clem?" Sarita asked. She had her hands full with trying to quiet AJ, and Clementine was still in her panicked state.

Luke looked to the little girl. "She's okay…"

Sarita frowned at his response. Clementine was clearly not okay.

"We can't do anything for her right now…" Luke said.

Sarita knew he was right. "You should stay behind cover… It's dangerous…"

Luke shook his head. "It'll be fine. Just trust me." He said.

Sarita sighed, but nodded.

Luke moved from the wall, staying crouched, but a shot to the leg sent him to the ground with a yell.

"Luke, No!" Bonnie yelled.

"Shit..." Vince swore, quickly shooting one of the men who he noticed was aiming at Luke.

"One down…" Russell commented.

"NO!" The Russian woman yelled out.

Becca turned to Luke as the man managed to drag himself back behind the wall. "Holy shit... Are you okay?"

"Oh my God… Are you alright?" Sarita asked.

"L-Luke?" Clementine mumbled, snapping out of her daze.

"I-It's alright, Clem…" Luke tried to reassure the child, while clutching his injured leg in pain. "It's alright…"

"You're hurt?" Clementine asked, looking to Luke's wounded leg.

"Well, he got me in the leg, but... I think... I think it went straight through." Luke replied. "Shit... I don't know."

"Are you okay?" Clementine asked.

"Do I look okay?" Luke snapped, the pain sent shooting stars up his leg.

Clementine's eyes widened in fear at his aggressive tone.

"Hey!" Becca snapped. "Don't talk to her like that."

Luke quickly softened his voice, realizing he had startled the child. "Sorry. I'm sorry... I'm going be fine, Clem... I think I'm going to be fine."

"Okay…" Clementine said, although she felt a bit hurt that Luke had snapped at her.

Meanwhile, Kenny took cover behind at tree as Vitali fired more shots at him.

With a glare, Kenny ran over to Arvo and grabbed the boy.

Arvo's sister began shouting at him, a look of horror on her face as she feared for her little brother's life.

Kenny ignored her, pressing his gun to Arvo's head.

"You get out here, or I put a bullet in this kid's head!" Kenny snapped.

"ARVO!" The Russian woman yelled.

"Shut up!" Kenny said to the struggling boy in his grip.

Arvo continued his struggles.

"I said shut up!" Kenny snapped.

Clementine moved to peek around the wall, despite Sarita's attempts to stop her. "Let him go, Kenny!"

"No!" Kenny responded. "I'm ending this."

"This is his fault." Vince reminded. "He attacked us."

"Leave him alone, Kenny! He's just a kid!" Bonnie said.

"No!" Kenny said. "You get out here! Right fuckin' now!"

The Russian woman, started reaching for her own weapon, which she had dropped when she got shot, trying to get Kenny to release her younger brother.

Russell aimed his gun at her. "Don't even think about it..."

Arvo noticed that Russell had a gun trained on his sister and struggled more. "Natasha!"

"Kenny, let him go!" Wyatt said.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kenny spat. "Quit fightin' me, boy! You think I'm bluffing? Get out here!"

Arvo stomped on Kenny's foot, causing him to suddenly release the boy.

"You fuckin' piece of shit!" Kenny snapped.

Before he could do anything, Vitali stood up, shooting at the man.

Kenny ducked out of the way as a bullet whizzed passed him.

Vitali moved from behind cover, approaching Kenny, who was on the ground.

Vince raised his gun, but before he could do anything a gunshot rang out.

Kenny opened his eyes, just in time to see Vitali fall to the ground. He sat up before his eyes grew wide at who he saw. "Holy shit..."

"Kenny?" The woman said in surprise.

Kenny forced himself to his feet, "I-It's really you… I can't believe it…"

"Christa...?" Clementine uttered out from her spot behind the wall.

Upon hearing the child's voice Kenny spoke up, "It's safe to come out." He called to the group members.

Clementine didn't have to be told twice. She started to make a dash towards her former guardian, but a sudden pain halted her movements. The child stumbled a bit, bringing a hand to her stomach with a wince.

"Clem?" Sarita called. "What's wrong?"

Clementine couldn't give an answer. She didn't know what was wrong, but with each passing second the pain worsened. The child started whimpering. She couldn't take it; the pain was almost unbearable.

"What's wrong with her?" Christa demanded.

 _Make it stop! Make it stop!_ The little girl kept repeating in her mind. Before she knew it, the pain had sent her to her knees. She could no longer hear anyone's concerned voices over her own screams.

Carlos approached the child, immediately under the assumption that she was having a miscarriage.

Clementine tried to will away the pain, but it was impossible. Maybe Jane was right… It did seem like this baby was trying to kill her.

Kenny and Carlos moved to the girl, asking if she was alright.

Clementine couldn't respond, and soon enough everything went dark.

"What the fuck happen?" Kenny demanded of the doctor.

"I'm not sure…" Carlos said.

"Did she have a miscarriage." Luke asked.

Christa furrowed her brows. "A what?!"

Luke started to repeat himself. "A mis-"

"She's fucking pregnant?!" Christa cut him off, looking horrified.

The groups' expressions fell.

"How? How did this happen?!" Christa asked.

"Just calm down." Wyatt said.

Christa narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me to calm down. Who had sex with her? Which of you assholes raped the kid?"

"The shithead pedophile is dead." Kenny said.

Meanwhile Carlos was looking over Clementine. "I don't see any blood… So as far as I can tell, she didn't have a miscarriage…"

"Then what's wrong with her?" Vince asked.

"Abdominal pain is normal during pregnancy. The stress probably worsened it…" Carlos said.

The woman, Natasha stood and started approaching.

Vince noticed and immediately aimed his gun at her.

Natasha quickly stopped, raising her hands in surrender.

"Stay back." Vince demanded.

Natasha said something in Russian.

Vince furrowed his brows, however before he could speak, Christa did.

"Lower your gun." Christa said.

"What?" Vince raised a brow.

"She said they don't want any more trouble." Christa translated for Natasha.

"Trouble is what they got! This is their fault!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Hold on. You can understand them?" Wyatt asked, looking surprised.

"My boyfriend took up Russian for a while, kind of convinced me to take it with him. Just for fun…" Christa explained. "So, what exactly is going on here?"

"Those fuckers attacked us!" Kenny said.

"They… They took bag!" Arvo said.

"Bag?" Christa echoed, "What bag?"

"Medicine bag!" Arvo replied. "You people are NOT nice!"

Natasha started speaking to Christa, who raised a brow.

"They say you robbed them." Christa informed the group. "And that you took her medicine."

"We didn't rob anyone! This one woman who was with us before, she brought the bag. She said she found it." Russell said.

Christa spoke to the woman for a bit, before letting out a sigh, "She said it was a mix up. They just need the medicine back."

"They attacked us!" Kenny said. "We should fuckin' kill them!"

"Two of their men are dead. I'd call it even." Christa said.

"Even?" Vince said. "They would've killed us if they had the chance."

"It's over guys... They're not a threat to us!" Mike said, moving to stand in front of Arvo and Natasha, not wanting the situation to get worse.

"How can you say that? Of course they are!" Kenny drew his gun. "Get out of the way."

Mike's eyes widened. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing the same thing these assholes tried to do to us!" Kenny said.

"It doesn't have to go down like that." Mike said.

"Kenny, please..." Bonnie spoke.

"T-They didn't shoot at us..." Sarah stammered, looking worried.

"That's not to say they wouldn't..." Becca replied.

"They're just scared, man." Luke said.

"Instead of trying to get even with them, you should be focusing on Clementine..." Christa grumbled.

"There is house, food... please... Please, no shoot!" Arvo said.

"Bullshit." Kenny spat.

"No, no! Is true. We have place. Not far. Food." Arvo said, sounding nervous and desperate.

"See, he wants to help." Luke said.

"Oh, don't be stupid. He's just tryin' to save his skin." Kenny scoffed. "Why the hell would you help us? Huh?"

"I... I not want to see more people dead." Arvo said.

"Then close your eyes and I'll make it quick." Kenny replied coldly.

"Kenny, back off!" Mike ordered.

"They deserve this shit." Kenny said.

"NO!" Natasha said. The woman looked to Christa and spoke again.

"She says, they have enough food to last for the winter." Christa said before a frown crossed her face. "If Clem is pregnant… She's going to need it."

"If they're telling the truth, it could save all of us." Bonnie agreed.

"And if it's a trap, we'll all be dead." Kenny said.

"We're runnin' low on supplies as it is. Think about the baby... Think about Clem…" Bonnie said.

Kenny didn't budge. "They're the reason Clem is in this condition now."

"They're not the reason she's pregnant." Christa said bitterly.

"Now's not the time for this… We need to get moving." Carlos spoke up, pulling Clementine into his arms.

"Not the time? I want to know how the hell my girl ended up getting raped!" Christa said.

"Christa… right?" Bonnie asked.

Christa looked to the redhead. "Yes."

"Look… It's… It's a long story…. We don't have time for it now…" Bonnie said.

"She's right. All that noise is gonna bring walkers." Luke said.

Christa shot them a glare. "I expect an explanation later."

"What's the plan? How far is this house you mentioned?" Vince asked.

"Not far…" Arvo said. "A few hours of walk."

"No good… We'll have to find somewhere to stay for Clementine…" Carlos said. "She shouldn't be moving around in her condition."

"She'll be fine…" Kenny said.

"Just listen to him. He's a doctor…" Luke said.

"Can't someone carry her?" Russell asked.

Carlos shook his head. "Carrying her is not the problem. She shouldn't be out in this weather."

"Neither should the baby…" Christa added, motioning towards AJ. "He's going to get sick if he stays out here."

"Right…" Carlos agreed.

"If there are supplies, we need 'em. We ain't gonna last much longer without more food. We gotta take a chance." Bonnie said.

"We also got to think about the children…" Carlos said.

"Alright… What if a couple of us went to this house?" Wyatt suggested. "Check it out. See if it's legit…"

"Like who?" Luke asked.

"I'll go…" Mike said.

"I can go too." Kenny offered.

Arvo quickly shook his head. "He not go..."

Kenny shot him a glare, "What? You fuckin' asshole-"

"Kenny, stop! Just chill, man." Mike said.

"Don't tell me to "chill"!" Kenny snapped.

Christa nearly rolled her eyes. "I can see why they don't want you going."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kenny asked.

"You're far too aggressive." Christa said.

"I have the right to be after what happened." Kenny said.

"They said they just wanted the medicine. Lay off, man." Luke said.

"Let's just find some place to rest...And treat everyone's injuries. I'm sure everyone is exhausted." Carlos suggested, adjusting Clementine in his grip.

Christa went over to the doctor and offered to take the child.

Carlos hesitated.

"I insist." Christa said.

Hearing her cold voice, Carlos handed the girl to the woman without protest.

"Are we at least going to tie them up?" Kenny asked, motioning towards the Russians.

"There's no need. I doubt they'll try anything." Vince said.

"We don't know that. At least take their weapons." Kenny said.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably smart." Russell agreed.

Christa let out another sigh, turning to Natasha she told the woman to hand over their weapons.

Arvo started to protest but his sister gave him a smack to the head.

Arvo let out a pained yelp, rubbing the back of his head. Natasha handed her gun to Russell, ignoring her brother's confused look.

"Alright…" Vince said. "We should get moving…"

The others agreed.

"Just gimme a reason." Kenny grumbled to Arvo and Natasha.

"Yeah, man. They get it." Luke said, rolling his eyes.

With that, the group set out They made sure to get as far away from the area the shootout took place, knowing that the noise would attract walkers.

* * *

Mike was helping Luke along, while Christa was carrying Clementine.

"How are you coping, Becca?" Bonnie asked the girl. "How's your leg?"

"I'm fine. It was barely a graze." Becca said.

"You sure?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes." Becca said. "It's no big deal."

"...Okay..." Bonnie said. "Let us know if you need any help."

"I'm fine... I can handle myself. It doesn't even hurt anymore..." Becca lied. It did hurt, but she wasn't willing to show weakness.

Before Bonnie could say anything, her attention was drawn to Luke as the man let out a groan.

Bonnie turned to him with a frown. "Wait up!" Bonnie called to the rest of the group. "Wait. We need to stop."

Luke shook his head. "No! No, I'm... I'm fine, okay? I just need a second. Sorry... I just... I just put more weight on it than I should've."

"We might as well stop here. It seems safe enough." Wyatt said.

"Yeah… I can treat everyone's injuries now…" Carlos said.

"You should look at Clem first…" Luke said as Mike helped him sit down. "I don't think passing out like that is… normal…"

"She shouldn't have been walking around." Christa huffed. "You're a doctor. You should know that." She said to Carlos, giving him a glare.

"She said she was fine." Carlos sighed.

"Does she look fine to you?!" Christa demanded.

"Everyone just calm down…" Russell said.

"Yeah… It's been a long day." Bonnie said. "Let's just get everyone fixed up, then we'll work on finding a place to rest for the night…"

"What about the damn house the Ruskies mentions?" Kenny asked.

"Who knows how far that might be…" Wyatt said.

"We'll… We'll figure something out in the morning." Bonnie said.

"Right… It'll be dark soon. There's no point in heading out to far tonight anyway." Vince said.

"Alright…" Kenny grumbled, "You two wait over there." He ordered to Arvo and Natasha, motioning for them to stop.

Arvo continued forward, only to jump in surprise when Kenny snapped.

"Hey! What'd I say?" Kenny strode forward, giving the boy a shove. "When I tell you something, you fuckin' listen, you understand."

Natasha sent him a glare. "Stop!"

"Kenny!" Sarita called. "Stop it! Leave him alone."

"Yeah, man! Come on. There's no need for that." Mike said.

"He's gettin' what he deserves." Kenny stated.

"He doesn't deserve that!" Sarita argued, "This isn't like you, Kenny."

"I'm only looking out for us!" Kenny said.

"You're being an asshole, that's what you're doing…" Wyatt said.

"Did you all forget what just happened?" Kenny grumbled. "People always try to make me out to be the bad guy." He turned to walk away.

"Kenny..." Sarita called with a frown.

"Let him be..." Christa said. "He needs to cool off..."

"I know... I just... I worry about him sometimes. He can get so... so dark..." Sarita said.

Christa shrugged. "I think he means well, but... he's been an asshole as long as I can remember."

Sarita paused for a moment. "Does he seem different?"

"I think everyone is different. This world changes even the best people…" Christa said.

"I… I hate to interrupt…" Came Carlos' voice. "I think it's in Clementine's best interest that I examine her…"

"Alright…" Christa said. "You can do that with me there…" She didn't trust anyone to touch Clementine anymore, doctor or not.

Carlos only nodded. "We're going to have to strip her clothing… I know this isn't the best area, with the snow on the ground, however… I need to know if she's hurt anywhere…"

"Hurt in what way?" Christa asked, wanting him to clarify.

"Any injuries…" Carlos said.

"I'm not going to strip her in front of everyone." Christa said. She paused for a moment before gesturing to some bushes. "We'll get more privacy over there."

"Alright." Carlos said.

"I can go with y'all…" Bonnie said. "I want to help." She wanted nothing more than to make things right with Clementine.

Carlos nodded. Christa sent the woman a look, but said nothing.

The three walked towards the bushes, moving behind them.

Christa frowned. It was ridiculous that the best privacy they could get for Clementine was some bushes. Still, it was better than nothing.

Christa unzipped the child's jacket first, carefully pulling it off the girl's body.

"Who the hell got her these stupid overalls?" Christa asked, while working on the buttons.

"I… uh, I did." Bonnie replied. "I figured it was better than nothing. And she looks cute in them."

Christa huffed, "I guess. But she's going to need some real clothes."

Bonnie frowned, "If I find anything I'll let you know."

"This will do for now… But she's going to need something to be comfortable in. Not to mention, she needs something that will keep her warmer. A sweatsuit maybe…" Christa said.

"Yeah. At least she still has that cool jacket I gave her…" Bonnie said.

Christa looked at the jacket again. "It'll keep her warm, that's all that matters."

Bonnie agreed.

Soon enough Christa finished stripping the unconscious child.

"Okay… This will probably be much easier than last time, since she's not awake to struggle…" Carlos mumbled. "I'm going to clean her up…"

"In her vaginal area?" Bonnie asked, cringing a bit at the thought. She remembered how much pain Clementine was in the last time.

"That's right." Carlos confirmed.

"With what?" Christa demanded.

Carlos showed her the peroxide and a few cotton balls.

Christa frowned, "That's going to sting pretty badly…"

"I'm aware of that… But she has scaring inside of her, I need to do this in order for her to heal properly." Carlos explained.

"…Alright." Christa said. "Just tell me what to do."

"I need you to hold her down… In case she wakes up…" Carlos said.

Christa sighed, but nodded. She placed gentle hands on Clementine's shoulders holding the girl in place. Her eyes drifted to the girl's stomach, and she felt her own stomach churn. She couldn't even believe her girl was going to have a baby. Hell, Clementine was just a baby herself… "How far is she?"

"Around two weeks." Carlos replied.

"Fuck..." Christa said. "You don't have a way to end the pregnancy?"

Carlos shook his head. "Our best chance is hoping for a miscarriage."

"This is insane…" Christa said.

Bonnie and Carlos couldn't agree more.

Christa made sure to keep a grip on the child as Carlos readied the cotton balls.

Bonnie braced herself to hear the poor child start screaming.

However, as Carlos continued his examination, there was barely a reaction from the girl, besides a flinch, a grimace, or a whimper here and there.

The child was not bleeding, which confirmed that she hadn't miscarried.

Bonnie could hardly bring herself to look at the girl without feeling guilty. Everything that was happening to Clementine was her fault… She wondered if the child would ever forgive her.

* * *

After Christa had redressed Clementine, they returned to the rest of the group.

Carlos started treating everyone else's injuries. Kenny complained when the doctor treated Natasha's wounded shoulder, but was ignore.

Kenny sulked liked a child, refusing to let Carlos treat his eye, until Sarita had come over and scolded him for being difficult. After that the man finally gave in.

Becca also gave some protest but gave in after some urging from Bonnie.

"Hey…" Luke said, as he limped towards Christa who was sitting on a log. He took a seat beside her with a bit of struggle. "How's Clem?"

"I don't know…" Christa said.

Silence fell over the two.

Luke tried to change to a lighter subject. "She talked about you. She wanted to go looking for you…"

"I wish I had found her…" Christa said. "I wish I found her before this happened…"

"Hey, it's not your fault." Luke said. "No one could've known this would have happened. You can't blame yourself for it." He knew it was hypocritical of him to tell her not to blame herself when he was doing the same.

"I guess…" Christa said. "When we got separated and I saw these scavengers chase after her, a million thoughts ran through my mind. What they might do… How they might hurt her…This world's not kind. Not even to children."

"No… It's not." Luke said.

"What happened to her is proof of that." Christa said. "…The man who raped her is dead right?"

"Carver is..." Luke said. "Troy on the other hand…" He trailed off quickly, realizing what he had said.

"She was raped by two different people?" Christa asked in disbelief.

"…Yeah." Luke confirmed.

"How did that happen? How could you people not notice she was being raped?!" Christa snapped.

"We were trapped at this place, a Hardware store. This psychopath man, named Carver, had trapped us there. I took a while to show up, but when I did, I found out Carver had been touching Clem the whole time…" Luke explained.

"What about the other guy?" Christa asked.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened. I know Clementine went on a run with Bonnie and Troy… And I guess somehow Troy ended up alone with Clem…" Luke said

"I hope they're suffering in hell…" Christa said. "Clementine, doesn't deserve any of that..."

"Nobody does." Luke said.

Luke and Christa looked down as Clementine started to stir.

The child's eyes fluttered open. "Christa?"

"Hey there, Clem." Christa said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay…I think." Clementine said. The child looked around. "Where are we?"

"This is just a pit stop… We had to get everyone's injuries treated." Luke said.

"Oh… How's your leg?" Clementine asked.

Luke shrugged. "It's alright. Carlos took care of it for me."

"That's good." Clementine said.

"Right…" Luke said.

"Look who's awake." The three turned at the sound of Bonnie's voice.

Bonnie sent Clementine a friendly smile, "How are you feeling, city mouse?"

Clementine shrugged. "I'm fine." She didn't want to talk to Bonnie. She had nothing to say to the woman.

"That's good." Bonnie said.

"Yup…" Clementine replied.

"So… Are we ready to go?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm assuming we are." Christa said.

"Yeah… We're good here." Luke said.

"Need a hand?" Mike offered, coming over to Luke.

"Yeah. That'd be appreciated." Luke replied.

Mike helped the other man up, helping him balance.

"Thanks." Luke said.

"No problem." Mike said.

"Let's head out." Bonnie called to the rest of the group.

* * *

After a while of travelling Clementine had gotten tired of being carried. She had asked several times to be put down, but Christa wasn't listening. "Christa…" Clementine called again. "Can I please walk?"

Christa immediately shook her head, "You shouldn't be walking around."

"But I'm fine." Clementine argued.

"You're pregnant." Christa reminded.

"I'm not sick or anything." Clementine said. _Not now anyway._

"You're a child. You shouldn't be able to make that decision because you don't understand the problems that comes with pregnancy." Christa spoke in a stern voice.

"But it's my body..." Clementine retorted.

"I hate to break it to you, Clem. But that's not entirely true. Not anymore." Christa said.

Clementine furrowed her brows, "What do you mean.?"

"You have a roommate now. The lease isn't up for nine months." Christa scoffed.

Clementine giggled a bit, "Roommate?"

"That's right." Christa said. It was the lightest way Christa could think to put it. "Once the lease is up; you get to kick them out. Okay?"

Clementine gave a nod, "Okay… But I feel good right now. I'm not even sick."

"It's not about you being sick, Clementine." Christa sighed.

"Then what's the problem?" Kenny cut in. "If she wants to walk let her walk."

Christa shot him a look, "She shouldn't be."

"She says she's fine." Kenny said.

"But she's not. She's pregnant." Christa said.

"You people act like I got a disease or something." Clementine said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"It's not like that, Clem. I just don't want you getting hurt any more than what these people already allowed." Christa explained to the girl.

Kenny looked to the woman, "What?"

"You heard me." Was Christa's blunt response.

"You're blaming us for this? We didn't let it happen!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Then how did it happen then? Right under your noses." Christa huffed.

"Well… What about you? You didn't even look for her!" Kenny snapped.

"Of course I did!" Christa replied.

"Then why didn't you find her?" Kenny asked.

"I was shot in the side and stabbed in the leg. Looking for her wasn't easy, especially when I knew Clem wouldn't stay in one spot for too long, she knows better than that." Christa stated. "If I had been there I'd chop that man's dick off before he even got the chance to touch my girl."

Sarah cringed at the vulgar language and Becca rolled her eyes.

"Please, don't fight..." Clementine pleaded.

"Enough of this! It wasn't no one's fault." Bonnie cut in.

"Bonnie's right. Everyone needs to calm down." Wyatt said.

Christa narrowed her eyes, "So I'm supposed to be okay with the fact that Clementine got raped by two different people?"

"No... I'm not saying that… But all this arguing isn't helping anyone." Wyatt said.

"Look, we're all tired. Let's take a break..." Bonnie said.

"Yeah… I think the baby needs another bottle too." Sarita said.

"Alright…" Christa said. "We might as well just stop here."

"Yeah. A fifteen-minute break should be good enough." Vince said.

"Sounds good to me." Luke said. He was glad to be off his leg for a bit.

Christa finally placed Clementine on the ground. "How do you feel, Clem?"

"Okay." Clementine answered.

"You sure?" Christa asked.

"Yes…" Clementine said.

The woman straightened up, "You need to eat something. You haven't eaten all day."

"Christa, I'm fine." Clementine said.

Christa ignored the child, walking over to where Carlos was.

Clementine groaned. Christa was worrying too much as usual.

The girl was soon joined by Sarah and Becca who took a seat on either side of her.

"Hey, Clem." Sarah smiled.

"Hey." Clementine replied.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked.

"I'm fine." Clementine said. "Christa always worries a lot."

"Well… I think she has a right to be worried now…" Becca said. "…How does it feel?"

Clementine shrugged. "I don't feel anything right now…"

"You can't feel it moving or anything yet?" Becca asked.

Clementine shook her head.

"I think it's too early. Rebecca said she felt AJ move when she was about three months." Sarah said.

"That's a long time." Clementine said.

"Kind of…" Sarah said with a shrug.

"…Can I ask you guys something?" Clementine asked.

"Sure." Becca replied. "What is it?"

"What do you think happened to Troy?" Clementine questioned.

"Troy?" Becca raised a brow.

Clementine nodded. Sarah gave a frown.

"Why are you worried about that guy?" Becca asked.

"I'm just wondering…" Clementine said honestly. Hearing the adults talk about Troy and Carver had made her start thinking… "Do you think he's alive?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who cares?" Becca replied.

"Maybe he's in jail." Sarah said.

Clementine and Becca both sent her confused looks.

"Jail?" Becca said.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. He's a bad person. Bad people go to jail first then when they die, they go to hell."

"We're all in hell." Clementine mumbled.

"What world are you living in?" Becca scoffed.

"Huh?" Sarah tilted her head slightly.

"If there was a jail, people wouldn't go around doing the terrible things they do." Becca said. "If there were police officers, why weren't there any at Howe's? If cops were still in power, don't you think they would have been there, looking into what was happening to Clementine?"

"They… They were busy." Sarah said.

"Busy being walkers, or trying to survive themselves. They're not worrying about what happens to strangers, they could care less. This is a dog eats dog world." Becca said.

Sarah was taken aback by that. "But… But my dad said..."

Clementine cut the teen off. "Your dad doesn't always tell the entire truth, Sarah…"

Sarah's eyes widened, "Are you… Are you calling him a liar?"

Clementine paused, "That's not what-"

"That's exactly what we're saying." Becca said. "You should grow up. It's kind of ridiculous that Clementine is more mature than you and she's only ten."

"I'm eleven." Clementine corrected.

"Shut up." Becca said to Clementine before looking back at Sarah, "You need to stop acting like a fucking baby. Otherwise, you're going to get yourself killed."

Sarah lowered her head, letting out a whimper.

"Becca…" Clementine said, feeling kind of bad that Sarah was upset.

Becca shook her head. She didn't feel bad at all. She hadn't said anything that wasn't true. Sarah needed to hear it.

"W-Why are you guys being so mean to me?" Sarah whimpered some more, a few tears falling.

"If you think we're mean, you really do need to wake up. People aren't nice anymore." Becca said.

"Sarah, we don't want to hurt your feelings… We care about you." Clementine said. "Your dad is trying to protect you, but he's doing too much. He can't keep lying to you and treating you like a little kid. You need to grow up. We can't be kids anymore, Sarah."

"I don't want to talk about this…" Sarah said, sniffling a bit. The teen used the back of her hand to wipe tears away.

Becca rolled her eyes, "Fine… Forget it. Keep being an idiot…"

Sarah didn't respond.

Clementine felt like she was stuck in the middle. Becca was being harsh, but maybe that was the only way to get through to Sarah.

The three girls sat in an awkward silence before Christa approached them, crackers in her hand.

The woman quirked a brow, "Everything okay?" She asked the girls.

"Fine…" Becca replied.

"…Okay…" Christa said. "Here, Clem. Eat these." She offered the child the crackers.

Clementine accepted them with a small, "Thank you."

Once Clementine had finished the crackers the rest of the group was ready to head out again.

* * *

There was high tension in the air, as the group continued walking. No one spoke, knowing that it would probably just start another argument.

"Where exactly are we going?" Luke questioned.

"We're looking for a place to camp dipshit." Kenny grumbled, adjusting the baby Alvin in his hold.

"I know that." Luke groaned. "We could camp here to be honest. So where are we going?"

"How far is this house?" Russell asked Arvo.

"More walk... More hours." Arvo said.

"So that's definitely out of the question…" Vince said.

"I know place... Not far." Arvo claimed.

"Really? And where the hell is that?" Kenny aske.

"Is close. Place to sleep." Arvo said.

Bonnie looked around. "It's gettin' dark. Maybe we should stop for the night." She suggested.

"It would be better to rest somewhere enclosed. You know, less a chance of walkers getting in." Russell said.

"What about there?" Sarah spoke up pointing to a fenced in area.

"Nice find, kiddo." Kenny said.

Sarah smiled. "Thanks."

"This is place to rest." Arvo said.

"Yeah... We've already established that, asshole." Kenny replied.

"Kenny, lay off." Mike said.

Kenny didn't offer a response.

"Can we just try to have a calm, quiet night... Please?" Clementine asked.

"That sounds nice." Bonnie said.

"Yeah... Yeah it does." Luke said.

Alvin Junior let out a few cries, having been awaken by all the noise.

Kenny quickly starting rocking the child, "Oh, shit, sorry about that... it's all right, buddy. It's all right."

"If we're staying here, we need to make sure it's safe..." Christa said.

"Right..." Vince agreed.

"All right, ya'll wait here. I'll go make sure this ain't some walker nest we're lockin' ourselves into." Kenny said.

"I got your back." Vince offered.

Kenny nodded. He handed Sarita the baby.

"Can't you put me down now?" Clementine spoke up.

"Sure, Clem..." Christa said.

Clementine was glad. She hadn't expected the woman to agree.

Christa placed the girl down and Clementine made her way over to Sarita.

"Can I hold the baby?" The child asked.

Sarita smiled at her, "Of course, sweetie. Remember to support his head."

"Okay." Clementine said as the baby was handed to her. "He's cute."

"Yeah. He's a perfect little angel." Sarita said.

Clementine wondered what her own baby would look like if she had it... She swallowed, feeling nervous at the thought of having a child.

AJ, as if picking up on her anxiousness, let out a few whimpers.

Clementine shushed the child, "Shh... it's okay. It's okay..."

"You're a natural." Mike commented.

Bonnie gave a smile and made her way over to the little girl. "I think he likes you. Calmed right down for you. That's a good sign."

"I guess..." Clementine said.

Bonnie noticed the girl had seemed to shut down as soon as she approached. "Clem... I know you might not want to talk to me... But I-"

"Why would I want to talk you?" Clementine interrupted. "If I had it my way, you'd as far away from me as possible. But apparently I'm cursed, because bad stuff keeps happening to me."

"Clem..." Bonnie tried.

"No! Leave me alone." Clementine said.

Bonnie frowned. She guessed Clementine still needed some time…

"Come on over, it's safe." Kenny called.

The group made their way over to the area, not speaking of what had just happened between Clementine and Bonnie.

Starting up a fire, they proceeded to gather around it. There was once again a silence, however this time it was less awkward. Slowly, the tension was dying down as everyone enjoyed the heat from the fire.

They cooked up a meal and ate, eventually breaking into some light small talk.

It wasn't long before Arvo and Natasha turned in for the night.

Carlos and Russell did so as well, Carlos making sure to tell the girls not to stay up too long.

Clementine made it a point to avoid Bonnie as much as possible from now on, which seemed impossible considering the woman continuously approached her.

The girls were sitting a little away from the adults. Clementine was glad Sarah no longer seemed upset about their talk from before. The children were eating quietly until Becca spoke up.

"What was that all about?" Becca asked.

"What?" Clementine asked.

"You blowing up on Bonnie. What was that all about?" Becca questioned.

Clementine hesitated before saying, "Things are... strained between us."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"It just is..." Clementine said. "We're not friends. I don't even want to associate with her, to be honest."

"Whatever she did, you'll have to forgive her sooner or later…" Sarah said.

"Do I?" Clementine asked, crossing her arms. "I don't have to anything. And I'm not going to pretend like everything is all fine and dandy."

"What exactly did Bonnie do to piss you off?" Becca wondered.

"Nothing." Clementine replied.

Becca arched a brow, "Then why-"

Clementine cut her off, "She did nothing... When I told her about what was happening back at Howe's... She wouldn't listen to me..."

"I'm sure she wanted to help..." Sarah said.

"Then why didn't she?" Clementine asked.

Sarah didn't know how to answer that. "I... I don't know..."

"It doesn't matter anymore..." Clementine huffed. "I just want her to stay away from me."

"I think it does matter... I mean, the damage is done. You're gonna have a baby." Becca said.

"Don't remind me." Clementine said. "I don't want to have baby..."

"Of course you don't..." Becca said.

"I just want it all to go away..." Clementine said. "I keep thinking... Maybe this is all a bad dream, and soon I'll awake up... But I know it's real."

"You... You don't want to kill yourself anymore, do you?" Sarah asked, a concerned look on her face.

"I don't know..." Clementine said honestly. "Sometimes I do... Sometimes I don't. But I'm sure Lee would want me to stay alive..."

"Who's Lee?" Becca asked.

"He was a friend of mine..." Clementine said.

Sarah and Becca gave her an expecting look, wanting her to explain further.

Clementine was quiet for a moment, "When this first started... My parents took a trip to Savannah, they left me with a babysitter... The first few days were fine, but one night…. Sandra and I were watching T.V. when we heard noise from outside of the house. It sounded like people were fighting; Sandra went outside to see what it was, she wanted to help. She told me stay inside, so I did... Then I heard her scream."

Sarah and Becca let the younger girl continue her story without interruption. They both felt bad for the eleven-year-old.

The child had her eyes clenched shut as memories flooded through her head. She took a deep breath before speaking again, "When she came back inside, she told me that someone had bit her… We could hear more screaming from outside… I was scared. We had idea what was going on… Sandra started packing up supplies, saying we had to leave… that it was dangerous to stay in the neighborhood. We planned to leave the next morning, but we didn't get to. She turned before we could."

Sarah's eyes widened. "That must've been scary…"

"It was… I took what supplies Sandra had packed and went to hide in my treehouse…" Clementine said. "The walkers couldn't get up there. I was up there for two days before Lee showed up. He was hurt and he needed help, but he actually ended helping me instead… He took care of me… Protected me. He taught me how to survive." Clementine lowered her head, her shoulders shaking a bit, "And I repaid him by getting him killed."

"What?" Becca asked.

"There was a man I spoke to… He lied and said he had my parents, and I…I was stupid to believe him. He kidnapped me… And Lee… Lee got bit saving me…" Clementine fought back tears, she wouldn't cry.

"That wasn't your fault." Sarah said.

"I know it was. It was my fault and I can't lie and say it wasn't." Clementine said. "If I… If I hadn't spoken to that man… Lee would still be here. It's my fault."

They all fell silent.

Clementine hated to think about the past. It seemed like it was full of nothing but pain.

"What about your other friend?" Sarah suddenly said.

"Who?" Clementine asked.

"The woman... Christa?" Sarah said.

"We met her on our way to Savannah…" Clementine simply said. Her voice sounded tired, as if she didn't want to talk anymore, which truthfully, she didn't."

"Savannah? Where your parents were vacationing?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah..." Clementine sighed. "We went to Savannah to try to find them, my mom and dad... I had this stupid hope that I would be reunited with them and everything would be okay... But when we got there, they were already dead… We met Christa on our way… She was with this man, named Omid, but he's dead because of me too…"

Sarah's face fell.

"A lot of people die because of me…" Clementine said. "I'm surprised Christa doesn't hate me anymore…"

"Why would she hate you?" Sarah asked.

"For what happened to Omid… He got shot because of me… Saving me… It should've been me that got shot…"

"Don't say that, Clem." Sarah said.

"Why not? It's true." Clementine said back.

"No it's isn't." Becca said. "Stop talking like an idiot. If you kill yourself then Lee died in vain."

Clementine bit her lip, knowing that was true. "I'm not going to…"

"Good. Then stop talking like you want to!" Becca said. She knew how Clementine felt, some days she just wanted to end it all, but she knew she couldn't. She had to live for her sister…

"I'm sorry…" Clementine said.

"It's fine… Just stop being stupid… Seriously…" Becca said. "I'm going to bed."

"Okay…" Clementine mumbled. She kept her gaze low as Becca stood and walked away.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked her friend.

"I'm fine." Clementine said quickly. Clearly she was not fine.

"Maybe we should get to bed too…" Sarah said.

"You can go ahead…" Clementine replied.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah… Don't worry about me." Clementine said.

"Okay… Goodnight, Clem." Sarah said.

"Night…" Clementine said back.

Sarah slowly stood, and walked off towards her father.

Clementine was left alone to ponder to herself for a while. The girl looked up when someone took a seat beside her.

"Everything alright?" Christa asked the child.

"I guess..." Clementine said.

Christa raised a brow. "You guess?"

Clementine gave a shrug.

"I just wanted to talk to you... make sure you're okay." Christa said.

"I'm fine." Clementine claimed.

"Okay..." Christa said. "I want to reassure you that whatever happens, I'm going to support you. I know I didn't do the best job of taking care of you but-"

"I can take care of myself, don't worry." Clementine said.

Christa frowned, "You know... Things are going to be different now, with... with a baby."

"I know..." Clementine said. She didn't want to talk about it.

"But no matter what... If you have the baby or don't have the baby... I'm going to be with you, okay?" Christa said.

"Yup." Clementine replied quickly.

Christa noticed the child was trying to end the conversation, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. I'm good. I'm fine." Clementine said.

"All right..." Christa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why don't you come over by the fire."

Clementine gave a tiny nod, "Okay..."

Christa stood. Taking the child's hand, she led the child over to where the other group members were sitting.

"Hey there, Clem…" Bonnie said as she noticed the girl.

Clementine didn't even spar the woman a glance.

"What are you still doing awake, kiddo?" Luke asked.

"I'm not tired…" Clementine said.

"That's surprising… I'm exhausted… Must be getting old." Luke joked.

"Don't even start with that shit." Kenny said.

"Yeah." Bonnie said. "You're only what, twenty-six."

"Twenty-seven, actually." Luke corrected. "My birthday was a few days ago."

"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Bonnie asked.

"It wasn't a good time…" Luke said. "Had more important things to worry about."

"Like Jane?" Vince snickered.

Luke frowned.

"Hey, let's not talk about that. We got a little one around." Bonnie said.

"I don't mind if you talk about fucking…" Clementine said.

Everyone's eyes grew wide.

"Clem…" Christa called. "Don't talk like that."

"Why?" Clementine questioned. "That's what they were doing…"

"It's not good for you say stuff like that." Sarita said.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Luke spoke again after a moment of silence, trying to make things less awkward. "…Got out of college five years ago... feels like a million years." Luke said. "At least I don't have to worry about payin' off them student loans."

"I hear that. I'm sure there's some asshole sittin' on that paperwork... waiting to collect." Mike said.

"Probably." Luke chuckled.

"I'd have liked to go to college." Bonnie said.

"I liked school." Clementine said.

"Just a waste of money." Kenny scoffed.

"That's not true. It's good to get an education." Sarita argued.

"If you learn how to fix a car or catch some fish and you could have a good paying job." Kenny replied. "School ain't even necessary."

"What did you want to be when you grew up, Clem?" Sarita asked the child.

"Well... My mom was a doctor... So I kind of wanted to be a doctor too." Clementine replied. "I wanted to help people."

"Sounds like you." Kenny said. "Medical school cost a lot of money. Just tossing it down the drain."

"But it's a good paying job." Vince said.

"True." Kenny said.

"I'm sure you would've been a great doctor, Clem." Sarita said.

"Thanks." Clementine smiled.

"Yeah." Luke said. "Better than me. Majoring in Art History didn't help me much."

Kenny snorted, "Sounds like you majored in working in a coffee shop."

"Pretty much." Luke said.

"Oh, stop it." Bonnie gave a dismissive wave of the hand.

"Did get a minor in agriculture. Keep the old man happy." Luke said.

Bonnie quickly cleared her throat. "You know what, we should celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" Vince asked.

"Luke's birthday." Bonnie replied.

Luke's eyes widened. "What? No… You don't have to do that."

"You want us to sing to you?" Wyatt joked.

"I think I'll pass." Luke said with a small smirk. "We don't have to celebrate. It ain't that important."

"Oh no, birthday boy, we have to. It's all important." Bonnie said.

"She's right. Making it another whole year? I say that's something to celebrate." Vince said.

Bonnie reached into her backpack. "I managed to snag these." She pulled out two bottles of liquor. "Was savin' it for a special occasion... What's more special than a birthday?" She handed one of the bottles to Luke.

"I'd like a sip... I mean, after you obviously." Clementine said.

"Really?" Luke asked the child.

"No!" Kenny said.

"Aw, what's a sip gonna hurt?" Bonnie questioned.

Kenny sent her an arch look "Let me think, her, the baby. A lot. It could hurt a lot."

"We're talking about a sip... She's not drinkin' the whole bottle." Luke said.

"She doesn't need to drink any." Christa said, agreeing with Kenny.

Clementine spoke up, "But I-"

"I said no! You are not drinking. That is that." Kenny said sternly.

Clementine pouted.

"Let's quiet down people." Wyatt said.

"Yeah. Some of us are trying to sleep." Called Russell's tired voice.

"Sorry, Russ..." Bonnie replied before speaking in a softer voice, "Yeah… Let's take it down a notch."

Luke looked down to the bottle of rum. "Feel a little guilty taking the first..."

Bonnie shook her head, quickly calling out. "Whoa, wait. You gotta make a toast."

Luke looked to her, feeling a bit awkward, "I'm not really the, uh..."

"Come on, birthday boy. It don't have to be fancy." Bonnie urged him on.

"A toast means we all got somethin' to drink." Mike said.

"We can just pass the bottles around afterwards." Bonnie said to Mike, before turning back to Luke. "Go on."

Luke took a moment to clear his throat. "To the loved ones that we've lost along the way... and to the hope that we see them again... someday.

"Here, here." Mike said.

"That was real nice." Bonnie said.

"Yeah?" Luke asked. "I didn't mean for it to rhyme, that was..."

Kenny let out a sigh. With a saddened expression on his face, he stood. "Well, I got first watch."

"I think the fence has got us pretty secure." Mike said.

"We can't be too careful." Kenny said.

"The baby might be cold." Bonnie said.

"I can take the baby... He should be by the fire..." Sarita offered.

"Alright..." Kenny handed the infant off to Sarita. "I'm gonna post up over near the hole in the fence there. Holler if ya need anything."

"Thanks, Kenny." Luke said.

"Don't mention it…" Kenny replied before walking away.

"Can I please have a sip?" Clementine asked, giving Christa puppy dog eyes.

"No." Christa said.

Wyatt was a bit amused by the child's attempts to get Christa to cave. "You wouldn't like it anyway. Stick to apple juice, kiddo."

"But we don't have any…" Clementine said. "I'm thirsty."

"That won't make you any less thirsty. To be honest, it'll just leave a bad taste in your mouth." Wyatt told her.

"I just want to taste it…" Clementine said. "Please?"

"Clem... Drinking is bad for you. You're just a kid. And besides you might hurt the baby." It was almost comical for her to mention hurting the baby by drinking, when she had downed a bottle of alcohol when she was pregnant; the difference was, Clementine was a child. She knew nothing about pregnancy.

"Alright…" Clementine said.

"I'm… I'm going to go talk to Kenny." Sarita said after a few moments.

"You sure? Maybe he just needs a few minutes…" Vince said.

"I'm sure…" Sarita said.

"I'll take the baby." Bonnie offered.

Sarita nodded. Standing up and walking towards the woman, she handed her the baby.

The group continued their chatter as Sarita walked away.

Christa noticed Clementine let out a yawn, "You sleepy?"

"A little…" Clementine admitted. The girl laid her head down on Christa's lap.

Christa gave a small smile, "Try to get some rest, Clem."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

* * *

Sarita approached her boyfriend, feeling a bit anxious.

"Kenny…" She called gently.

Kenny quickly looked to her. "Sarita? Where's the baby?"

"He's fine. Bonnie has him." Sarita answered.

"You should be by fire…" Kenny said.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay…" Sarita told him.

"I'm fine." Kenny said.

"I know that's not true…" Sarita said. "I know you…"

Kenny let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Sarita asked.

Kenny was quiet for a moment, "I uh... I feel like a piece of shit... I failed Duck... Failed Clem..."

Sarita frowned, "You did not."

"I did. My son is dead. And that poor little girl is pregnant." Kenny said.

"We'll be there for her as much as we can. Hopefully we can figure something out so she won't have to have the baby." Sarita said.

Kenny buried his head into his hands. "Jesus... This is fucked up..."

"It is... But we'll get through it. Together..." Sarita reassured him.

"AJ... Clem... They're my second chance. I can't screw up anymore." Kenny said.

"We won't... We'll make sure those two are okay..." Sarita replied.

"Right..." Kenny reached over taking Sarita's hand.

A smile crossed Sarita's lips.

"I love you, hon. I know I don't say it enough and I can be a real shithead sometimes but I really do love you." Kenny said. Sure she wasn't Katjaa… And he would never get his family back, but he was grateful for what he did have. Sarita, Clementine, Alvie; he didn't want to lose them. He'd do anything to keep them safe.

"I love you too, Kenny." Sarita said, kissing Kenny on the cheek, "Come on. Let's get some rest. You know Clem doesn't like sleeping alone..."

"Yeah... Can't blame her." Kenny said as the two of them stood, walking back hand in hand.

The two returned to the campfire, finding Clementine was already asleep with her head resting in Christa's lap.

"Guess little missy got tired?" Kenny said.

"Yeah... It's been a long day for her." Christa said.

Kenny walked over to Bonnie, "I can take the kid back."

Bonnie nodded and handed him the baby.

"It's been a long day for everyone." Vince said.

"That's true... We should all probably head to bed." Christa said.

The others agreed, deciding to turn in for the night.

* * *

After waking up in the middle of the night, Mike got up for a midnight bathroom break. Everyone had been asleep, so when he returned to the camp he was surprised to see Clementine sitting up, staring blankly into the fire.

"What are you doing up?" Mike asked the child.

Clementine shrugged. "Nothing..."

Mike raised a brow, sitting down by the fire. "You should get some rest. You'll be tired tomorrow."

"I can't." Clementine said.

"Guess that makes two of us..." Mike said. "The ground's just about as comfortable as it looks."

Clementine smiled at his joke. "Yeah…"

"Hopefully soon, we'll find a place that actually has beds." Mike said.

"Right… That would great." Clementine said.

"Sure would." Mike replied.

Clementine looked up from the fire and over to the man. She found herself eyeing the scar on his ear. "Does it hurt...?"

Mike looked to her, "What?"

"Your ear." Clementine asked.

"Nah. It's just a scar now. It doesn't hurt a bit." Mike assured her.

"Oh... How did it happen?" Clementine wondered.

Mike paused. He knew the child was just asking an innocent question. His question was should he tell her?

Clementine inched closer to the man. "When did it happen?" She continued to bombard him with her questions.

Mike sighed. It was hard to remember how young the poor kid was until you saw her innocent side. "You really want to know?" Mike asked her.

Clementine gave an eager nod. "What happened?"

"Back when this shit first started, I was driving around, trying to find a safe place, since it seemed like everywhere was full of the dead. These two men jumped in front of the car, told me to get out. I wasn't gonna do that. They were yelling at me to get out the car. When I didn't get out, one of them fired a gunshot. The bullet shattered the car window, hitting me in the ear, and some of the broken glass got me in the face."

"You got shot in the ear?" Clementine asked looking shocked.

"Yeah... Car weaved out of control, hitting one of the two shooters. The other one made a break for it." Mike said. "I got out of there alive, but I was if pretty bad shape for a bit."

"Holy shit." Clementine swore.

"Right..." Mike said.

"And it doesn't hurt?" Clementine asked again.

"Did at the time, but not anymore." Mike said.

"That's good." Clementine said, inching closer to him.

"Yeah…" Mike said. Before he knew it, the child had moved herself into his lap.

She continued to ask him questions. One after another, questions that sometimes had nothing to do with the previous one. Mike did his best to answer, and not laugh at the little girl's sudden interest in him.

The girl seemed so innocently curious that Mike thought nothing of it, until the child shifted her position, moving closer. Mike raised a brow when he noticed the girl was continuously whispering into his ear.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked.

"I like you..." Clementine whispered to him.

Mike knitted his brows together, "Clementine..."

"I can make you happy." Clementine said.

Mike's eyes widened, and he moved back a bit. "Clem."

"I'll make you feel good. Really good." She trailed her little hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, down to his pants.

Mike immediately gave the child a shove, hard enough to send her off his lap. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Clementine flinched. She started whimpering a bit, "I... I'm sorry. I thought you wanted me to..."

"What? No! No fucking way I would want that!" Mike snapped.

"B-But..." Clementine didn't understand. He had let her sit on his lap, that meant he wanted something… right?

"What's going on?" Came Luke's voice, he'd been woken up by the noise.

Luke wasn't the only one as Kenny snapped, "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"Me? I ain't do shit to her! She climbed in my lap and tried to get all touchy...!" Mike said.

"He…He wanted me to." Clementine said. "I thought he wanted me to…"

"What?" Kenny shot him a glare.

"No! Why would I want her to?" Mike asked, look horrified at the child's claim.

"Same reason the other assholes did." Christa grumbled, sitting up.

"I'm not a pedophile." Mike shook his head in disbelief. "Little girl is screwed in the head."

"Mike, come on... She's a rape victim..." Luke reminded.

"I'm not going to stand here and be accused of some bat crazy shit." Mike said.

"So you didn't touch her, right?" Kenny asked.

"Hell no! What do I look like abusing a child?!" Mike exclaimed.

"We just gotta make sure everything's alright. We're not accusing you of anything." Luke said, trying to calm him down.

"Especially, considering she's been hurt twice already." Christa added.

"Look... Lets just go back to bed." Luke said. "It was just a misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding?" Kenny echoed, looking annoyed.

"I didn't do shit to the kid." Mike said.

"Let's just get to bed…." Luke said again.

"Whatever…" Mike grumbled.

Clementine felt bad. She didn't mean to make Mike upset. She didn't want anyone to be mad at her.

Christa motioned for the child to come over to her. Clementine did so without protest. The girl rested her head in Christa's lap, slipping her thumb into her mouth.

Christa started rubbing Clementine's hair, trying to sooth the child to sleep.

Clementine tried her best to understand what she had done wrong. Everything was just so confusing… Carver had told her she was good when she did those things that other people considered bad.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to force herself to sleep.

She tried to put a spell on her brain repeating the words: _go to sleep, go to sleep._

But her mind kept switching to: _bad girls should be punished._

Clementine swallowed. Sleep seemed farther than ever from her.

And as hurtful as Mike's words were, Clementine couldn't help but feel they were true. She was screwed up in the head... And she hated herself for it.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Clementine awoke hours later, hearing people talking around her. The child forced herself into a sitting position. The adults were talking to each other a few feet away from her.

The child raised a brow, curious to hear what they were speaking about. She stood up and walked over to them.

"What's going on?" Clementine asked.

Mike sent the girl a look, causing her to frown. She lowered her eyes; she felt bad about last night, even though she was only trying to make him happy.

"Natasha and Arvo are going to take Mike, Vince, and Russell back to their camp and give them some supplies to bring back."

"Why just them?" Clementine asked. "Why can't we all go?"

"You shouldn't be walking long distances." Christa said.

Clementine groaned, "Christa, I already told you, I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Christa said sternly. "You're pregnant."

Clementine sighed, she didn't need to be reminded.

"If she says she's fine, she's fine." Kenny grumbled. "I say we screw the house and go to Wellington."

"That's a bad idea." Carlos said.

"Why's that?" Kenny demanded.

"We have no idea how far Wellington is." Carlos said. "Or if it's even out there."

"So what's your plan then?" Kenny asked.

"We find some place closer. Some place warm." Carlos simply said.

Kenny rolled his eye, "Obviously."

"We could head back to the deck…" Russell said.

"That's stupid, it's not going to keep us warm." Kenny said.

"What about Howe's, it was pretty warm there." Bonnie said.

Mike scoffed. "For you maybe. You had us outside in the cold."

"I'm not going back there!" Clementine said.

"We don't have a lot of options, sweetie." Bonnie replied to the child.

"NO!" Clementine snapped.

"Clem, calm down." Christa said. "Go play with your friends."

Clementine shot Bonnie a glare, but walked off to sit with Sarah and Becca.

"We can't go back to the deck. It won't protect us from the cold." Carlos said. "And Howe's isn't a good spot to go either. It won't be good for Clementine's mental state."

"Is that where she got raped?" Christa asked.

"Yeah…" Luke confirmed.

"Why the hell would we go there?" Christa questioned, sounding a bit horrified.

"It's safe… Or it should be…" Bonnie said. "It was just an option."

"It's not an option." Kenny huffed.

"Regardless, we need to get out of the cold. It's not good for AJ or Clem to be in this weather." Carlos said.

"He's right. A newborn has no business being in this kind of weather." Christa said.

"Also, Clementine's immune system is going to be weakened due to the pregnancy, which will make her more vulnerable to illness." Carlos added.

Sarita hummed, "What about the ski lodge, I'm not sure exactly where it is from here, but-"

"Then that's out of the question. If you don't know where it is, I'm going to take a guess and safe no one else does either." Christa said.

"We still have the town across the river. That's where we were heading before the attack, we might as we go there." Luke brought up.

"Town?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah. It's right across the river." Luke said. "Have you been there?"

Natasha looked a bit confused at the question. Christa decided to explain better, translating what had been ask for the woman.

The two women exchanged conversation for a few moments before Christa spoke to the other. "She says that town doesn't have any supplies. But there's plenty of shelter."

"So… It's picked clean, but it's safe?" Wyatt asked.

"Pretty much." Christa said.

"Damn…" Kenny mumbled. "Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"Right, we'll just have to watch out for lurkers and avoid buildings with large windows." Luke said.

"Looked like there was a church over there. That has to be a good spot to stay." Wyatt said.

"Alright…" Mike spoke up. "We should probably head to this house before it gets too late."

"Yeah." Vince said. "The faster we do this, the better."

Arvo frowned and started to protest, however Natasha delivered a hit to his head telling him to "Shut up."

Arvo didn't say anything more, he knew he and the other guys had basically cause this mess by not going with Natasha's plan to just get her medicine, but he was angry at that woman, Jane for robbing him.

"I guess we should head out now. No point in dilly-dallying." Russell said. "Especially if we want to get there before nightfall."

"Right." Bonnie said. "You guys be careful."

"Will do." Vince said.

With that Mike, Vince, and Russell followed Arvo and Natasha away as the siblings start to lead the three back to their camp.

* * *

"Clem, it's your move." Sarah called to her friend.

The two girls were busy playing tic-tac-toe, while Becca was sleeping beside them.

Clementine let out a sigh, her mind was drifting elsewhere.

"Clem? It's your turn." Sarah said.

"Huh?" Clementine looked to the older girl, seeming a bit startled. "What did you say?"

"It's your turn." Sarah repeated.

Clementine looked to the paper, picking up the pencil, she placed an "x" on in one of the spots. She placed the pencil down, slipping her thumb into her mouth.

Sarah looked to her friend, furrowing her brows. "What's wrong, Clem? Do you feel sick?"

Clementine was quiet for a moment, before sighing as she pulled her thumb out her mouth. "No… I was just thinking." Clementine said. "…Do you ever want to just… forget?"

"Forget what?" Sarah asked.

"Everything." Clementine replied.

"Why would I want to do that?" Sarah asked.

Clementine didn't answer. She saw no point. Sarah wouldn't understand, she hadn't experienced the horrible things Clementine had.

"Looks like you beat me." Clementine motioned to their tic-tac-toe game, changing the subject.

"Oh… Want to play again?" Sarah asked.

"Sure…" Clementine said.

The two girls started another game. Clementine was still absent mindedly playing. Until Sarah said something that caught her attention.

"Have you thought about the baby?" Sarah asked.

Clementine paused for a moment. "What about it?"

"Well, what do you think it's going to be?" Sarah questioned her friend.

Clementine shrugged. "I don't know." She didn't want to talk about the baby. She was still wanting to pretend it wasn't happening.

"What do you want it to be?" Sarah asked.

"Nothing…" Was Clementine's bitter response.

Sarah looked confused, "What?"

"I don't want to talk about this." Clementine said.

"But-"

Clementine stopped her by snapping, "I said no!"

"Shut up." Becca groaned before looking to the two other girls. "Why the fuck did you wake me up?"

"S-Sorry." Sarah said, whimpering a bit. She felt hurt that Clementine had yelled at her.

"I'm sorry, Sarah… I didn't mean to snap at you…" Clementine said, letting out a sigh.

"It's okay…" Sarah said before looking to Becca. "We were just talking about the baby…"

"Why were you talking about the baby?" Becca asked. "Babies are gross."

Sarah gasped at that. "Are not. AJ's not gross. He's cute."

"He smells." Becca retorted.

"All babies smell." Sarah said.

"My point exactly." Becca replied. "Now, shut up so I can sleep.

"So... Are you just going to sleep all day?" Clementine nudged her friend.

"Plan to." Becca replied, batting the child's hand away.

"But it's morning." Clementine said.

"In the definition of morning, it does not say "time to wake up"." Becca replied.

Clementine shrugged.

"I'm hungry." Sarah mentioned.

"Me too." Clementine said. "I want some spaghetti."

"Spaghetti?" Becca chuckled. "I doubt we have any."

"But I want some..." Clementine sighed.

"Oh well..." Becca said before sitting up. "I can't even fall back to sleep now."

"Let's go ask for some food. " Sarah took Clementine's hand, pulling the girl to her feet.

"Wait for me." Becca stood as well, following the other girls. The three made their way to the grown-ups to ask for breakfast.

"Dad, we're hungry." Sarah said to her father.

"I want spaghetti." Clementine announced.

"Spaghetti?" Carlos raised a brow.

"Yes, please." Clementine nodded.

The adults were quiet for a moment, realizing pregnancy cravings were setting in…

Luke chuckled, "Sorry kiddo, we don't got none."

Clementine frowned and much to the group's surprise the child started whimpering. "I'm hungry... I want some spaghetti..."

"Clementine," Christa called firmly. "Knock it off. Whining isn't going to make spaghetti appear."

Clementine pouted, "I want some spaghetti..."

"Tell you what kiddo, next time we go out, I'll try to find you some." Luke said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah." Luke figured he'd be able to find some spaghettios or at least some pasta noodles and sauce. It was the least he could do, considering she might be pregnant with his child…

"Thank you." Clementine said.

"Alright... For now, let's get you some breakfast." Christa said.

Clementine nodded.

* * *

The group finished with breakfast, which was oatmeal, and set out, heading towards the town across the river.

Clementine hated how over protective Christa was being. Once again the woman acted like she was in no shape to walk. It was slightly annoying.

They had been on the road for less than an hour, when Clementine found herself feeling nauseous. At first the child ignored it, not wanting to slow down the group, but as time went on she felt worse and worse.

As the group continued walking Clementine felt the urge to throw up.

She tugged on Christa's shirt. "Christa... I don't feel good."

Christa raised a brow. "You feel sick?"

"I feel queasy..." Clementine said.

Christa let out a sigh. "Alright, sweetie." She placed the child down before calling to the rest of the group. "We need to stop."

"Why?" Kenny asked. "What's the problem?"

"Clementine needs a break." Christa said.

Luke sent her a concerned look, "You okay, kid?"

Clementine promptly responded to his question by vomiting on the ground.

"I'll take that as a no..." Luke muttered.

"I think it's in everyone's best interest if we let her stomach settle a bit." Christa said.

The group agreed.

Once the child was done vomiting, Sarita offered the girl a water bottle.

Clementine took a mouthful of water, swishing it around in her mouth to get rid of the acidic taste. She spat it on the ground.

Christa moved the child away from the mess she had made. "You should lay down for a bit." The woman suggested.

Clementine nodded, trying to ignore the pain gripping her stomach.

Christa found a spot for the girl to lay down.

Carlos laid out a sleeping bag for the young girl, so she wasn't directly in the snow.

Clementine immediately laid down, curling herself into a ball as if that would help with the pain. It didn't.

Christa started running her hand through the child's hair, trying to help relax the little child.

Clementine tried her best to rest, eventually she did manage to drift off, despite feeling so sick.

Christa made sure to stay close to the child, she didn't plan on letting her out of her sight anytime soon.

"Hey..."

Christa turned to see Luke coming over. The man took a seat beside her.

"Hey..." Christa said.

"How's she doing?" Luke asked.

"She needs to rest." Christa said. "Uninterrupted rest. All this stress, the pregnancy... it's taken a toll on her."

"I know..." Luke sighed. He knew there was a lot on the poor kid. Everytime things started to seem at the worse, something else would happen to pile onto everything. "She's not going to get much rest out here."

"Regardless, we won't do her any good moving her right now. We need to wait for her to feel better." Christa said. "Believe me. Pregnancy sickness is the worst."

"You talk like you've experienced it firsthand." Luke commented.

Christa let out a sigh, not responding.

Luke frowned, realizing he had hit a sore spot. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything…"

"No… It's fine…" Christa said. "… How's your leg?"

Luke noted how the woman changed the subject. "It hurts like hell… But I'm still here…."

"Yeah…" Christa muttered in response.

"Honestly, I'm glad we're taking a break." Luke said. "It's good to sit down for a while."

"I'm sure." Christa said.

Silence fell over the two for a few moments before Christa spoke again. "It's kind of ironic…"

Luke looked to the woman with a raise brow. He didn't say anything however, waiting to see if she would continue.

She did. "My baby was stillborn…" Christa said in such a low voice that she wasn't sure she even said the words aloud. "It was a girl… A beautiful baby girl… Her father had mention wanting to name her Genevieve. He was joking, but…"

Luke frowned, feeling his heart clench for the woman. "I'm sorry…"

"I find it ironic that I lose my baby, and now Clem is having one..." Christa sighed.

Clementine shifted in her sleep, drawing the two adults' attention to her.

Christa shushed the child.

Luke gave a small smile, "You're really good with her."

Christa shook her head, frowning a bit. "I didn't do the best job of looking after her…"

"She's alive… That's gotta count for something, right?" Luke replied.

Christa just shrugged. "I guess."

"She's a smart kid. Smarter than any kid I've ever met. Really mature for her age." Luke said. "I say you did a pretty good job."

"Thanks… But I can't take all the credit." Christa said. "Her old guardian, Lee, he was amazing at taking care of her. And they had such a strong bond. She changed a lot after he died."

"I bet… Losing people…. It never gets easier." Luke said.

"No. It doesn't…" Christa agreed.

* * *

"You alright, man?" Vince asked, noticing how quiet Mike was being throughout the walk.

"Huh?" Mike looked to him.

"You seem lost in thought…" Vince said. "Everything good?"

Mike shrugged. "I guess so…" He was still thinking about what had happened with Clementine the night before.

"Wanna talk?" Vince questioned. He didn't know Mike too well, but he was still willing to let the man rant to him.

Mike was silent for a moment, "I was thinking about the kid…"

"Who?" Vince asked.

"Clementine…." Mike said. "She tried to come on to me last night."

"What?" Russell asked, overhearing. "Isn't she like ten?"

"I don't know. But it's disgusting." Mike said. "The kid is completely inappropriate."

"She doesn't know any better. She probably thought it was alright." Vince defended.

Mike shook his head. "I'm not like Carver, or Troy. I don't touch kids."

"What happened to her was fucked up. You can't blame her for how she acts…" Vince said.

"She's out of her damn mind. And so is everyone else in that group. I ain't no child molester." Mike said.

Vince let out a sigh. "They're just being cautious…"

"The kid is fucking pregnant. They should've been cautious a month ago." Mike said.

Vince didn't know how to respond to that. And so he didn't.

* * *

Clementine awoke a while later, feeling no better than she did before she fell asleep.

She whined as she felt waves a nausea run over her. She wondered what the hell the baby was doing, why was it making her so sick.

Placing a hand on her stomach she groaned, "Please stop making me sick…" She begged the unborn child.

She didn't know if the baby, or fetus, or whatever it was could hear her, but she hoped it would work.

"You're awake." Christa said to the child.

"Yeah…" Clementine said. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour." Christa said. "You hungry? Want something to eat?"

Clementine quickly shook her head. "No..."

"Why not?" Christa asked.

"I can't. I've been sick all morning." Clementine said.

"Well, you have to eat something... It's important for the baby." Christa said.

"The baby doesn't want me to eat. It's trying to kill me!" Clementine snapped.

Christa frowned, "Clem-"

"If the baby wanted me to eat, why does it keep making me throw up?" Clementine asked.

"Throwing up is normal when you're pregnant. You remember how I used to have morning sickness?" Christa said.

"Yeah, but not this bad." Clementine said.

"You have to keep in mind, you're still a little kid. So, you're going to get sick more often." Christa replied.

"I hate this!" Clementine groaned.

"Come on, Clem. I'll get you something to eat." Christa said gently.

"I don't want to!" Clementine snapped.

"The baby-"

"I didn't ask for a baby! Stop throwing it in my face!" Clementine said. "I'm not eating anything; I'll throw it up if I do." She was having a hard time as it was, not to mention this pregnancy was something she didn't want to acknowledge.

"Fine. But you're not going to talk to me that way." Christa said, an annoyed look on her face.

Clementine fell silent. Christa had been so kind; she had forgot how cold the woman could be.

She watched as the woman walked away, feeling a sense of Deja-vu as she recalled how irritable Christa had become after Omid's death, and how it only had worsened after what happened to her baby.

Clementine hadn't understood exactly what had happened with the baby, she remembered feeling it kick when Christa was pregnant, she remembered talking to it, yet when Christa finally gave birth the baby didn't move, didn't cry, didn't breathe. It wasn't alive.

Clementine was saddened, but she didn't cry until Christa actually started sobbing. At the point the child fed off of Christa's distressed reaction, although she didn't understand too much of what was happening, she knew the baby was gone. Her tears for the infant were genuine.

After that Christa grew more and more distant. The woman became colder, angrier, almost as if she was ready to just give up. Clementine was sure the woman hated her, but felt obligated to care for her.

There were many times Clementine felt things would be better for the woman if she wasn't there. Clementine couldn't help but wonder how Christa truly felt about her…

* * *

Mike, Vince, and Russell were all more than a little surprised when they caught sight of the unfinished house.

The three men exchange glances. They were glad they hadn't brought the whole group out here, expecting shelter. They would've just woken up covered in snow the next day.

"This, is it?" Vince asked.

"It?" Arvo questioned. "It what?"

"This is the house you were talking about?" Vince rephrased.

"Yes." Natasha said

"Is warm. Fireplace. Very warm." Arvo said.

"It looks like shit…" Vince mumbled.

"Well, we're here for the supplies, that's it." Russell said.

"Fair point." Vince said.

"Do we have to cross the ice?" Russell asked, looking worried. "It seems a bit dangerous."

"Well, it'll be the fastest way around." Mike said.

"It's okay, walk. Ice." Arvo said. "I go first. I can be front."

"Alright…" Russell muttered. He didn't want to walk on the ice, but the others seemed confident that things would be fine.

The group spread out, knowing that too much weight would cause the ice to break.

They walked on the ice slowly.

Things were going well until he heard it- the eerie sound of the ice cracking. Russell's first instincts was to run, but when he moved the ice cracked more.

"Russ? You alright." Vince called.

Russell shook his head.

For a moment, everything was unbelievably quiet as Russell tried to figure out an alternate solution to the problem.

However, before anyone could react the ice broke.

Russell fell through, clutching onto the fragmented ice that line the hole. He tried to stay calm, but it was hard. He felt himself starting to hyperventilate.

Vince and Mike tried to make their way towards him, but they were having a hard time.

Russell's legs began to sting from the cold water. He tried to pull himself from the freezing liquid, but each time he did so the ice under his arms would crack slightly.

"Russ, hold on!" Vince called, slowly making way towards him.

Mike slowly approached as well.

Just as Russell felt his grip begin to slip, he felt a strong hand grab his arm. "We've got you, Russell."

Mike and Vince pulled Russell free from the ice. The young man trembled, realizing with dread that he couldn't stand up.

"Are you alright?" Mike asked Russell.

The young man shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Vince asked.

"M-My legs…" Russell stammered. "I can't feel them…"

* * *

The group debated on just staying in the area, knowing at the rate they were moving they might not arrive at the town until nightfall.

However, once it started snowing, the chance of stay put was squashed. They decided to get a move on.

Clementine felt as if her stomach was doing flips as they walked. She already wanted this stupid pregnancy to be over. Now she understood why Rebecca was so irritable.

"You okay, Clem?" Bonnie asked the child.

Clementine shot the woman a look, "No. It fucking hurts…"

"Can you walk? Want someone to carry you?" Bonnie asked.

"Not you." Clementine said.

"I…" Bonnie stopped, not knowing what to say.

"I got her…" Kenny spoke up.

Clementine frowned. Clementine felt awkward being carried, she didn't want to be touch… but she was feeling too miserable to protest. She trusted Kenny, she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

Christa watched as Kenny picked the child up, and the group continued walking. Christa couldn't help but wonder why Clementine was so angry towards Bonnie. She figured she would ask the child eventually.

Christa was a bit surprised when she heard Clementine start whining. The girl hadn't cried for so long, and whenever the child was crying, she didn't cry due to pain.

"What is it, Clem?" Kenny asked. "Why are you crying?"

Clementine didn't answer, she just continued on whimpering.

"What's the problem?" Kenny tried to get the child to respond, but she refused to. He let out a groan. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Clem."

"I don't want to talk!" Clementine snapped before going back to whining.

Kenny sighed, rubbing the child's back to sooth her. "Calm down, darling…" Kenny said. "Calm down."

Clementine couldn't. She hated feeling sick. She hated it so much.

"Clem…" Kenny felt his heart break for the little girl.

"Are you in pain? Or does it just feel like you need to throw up?" Christa asked the girl.

"Both…" Clementine said. "It feels like someone's punching me…"

"Carlos," Christa called to the doctor.

"Yes?" Carlos looked to the woman.

"Do we got any medicine for her?" Christa asked.

"I'll check." Carlos stated.

Natasha had given the group half of her medical supplies, seeing as though the only thing she needed at the time was her medicine.

"Is it safe for her to take medication?" Kenny asked.

"She needs something…" Christa said.

Carlos looked through the medical supply, finding some tums. "These might help." He offered two to the whimpering child.

Clementine hesitated, "Will it hurt my baby?"

Carlos shook his head. "They're safe to take. They won't harm you or your child."

Clementine took the tums after that before resting her head on Kenny's shoulder.

"Try to relax, darling…" Kenny said, adjusting the child in his arms.

Clementine simply nodded.

* * *

Mike and Vince helped Russell up. The boy couldn't put any pressure on his legs.

They rushed him towards the house assuming he had a case of frost bite.

Immediately Natasha had started up the fireplace for Russell.

"You got any blankets?" Mike asked.

"Other room." Natasha said. She went to get him some towels.

Vince went to the other room to search for the blankets.

He entered the other room searching for so blankets, but was surprised to see a teen boy. The boy was about sixteen or so, messy brown hair that desperately needed to be cut.

The teen's eyes widened when he caught sight of Vince.

Vince wasted no time in drawing his gun. "Don't you fucking move."

The boy raised his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"What are you doing here?" Vince asked the boy.

"I… I don't want any trouble." The teen stammered.

"You alone?" Vince questioned. "Who are you with?"

Before the boy could answer a brunette woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties, rushed into the room, "Isaac?" holding a gun of her own. She aimed her weapon at Vince. "Who the hell are you?"

Vince looked to the woman. "I could ask you the same question."

"Why are you aiming a gun at my brother?" The woman demanded.

"Vince?" Mike called from the other room. "What's taking so long?"

"That's your group?" The woman asked, narrowing her blue eyes.

"Yeah… We came we another group, this is their house…" Vince said.

"Who the hell are you?" Came Mike's voice for a second time.

"I don't want any trouble." Respond an unknown male's voice.

The woman who was aiming the gun at Vince's eyes widened. "Brett…" She muttered, she rushed out of the room and into the living room.

Vince sighed, looking to the teen boy, who was awkwardly standing. "Go."

The boy scrambled away and Vince followed after him.

"Look, we don't want any trouble." The man, who Vince assume was Brett said. The man was easily six feet tall, with a hard edge to his face and looked like he lifted weights. "We thought this place was empty."

"Yeah, well it's not…" Mike said, lowering his weapon. "You passing through?"

"Brett, are you okay?" The woman asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine, babe." Brett said. He looked back to Mike. "Yeah, we got kind of lost. Then we saw the truck outside, and I wanted to try to get it fixed. We figured this place was abandoned."

"There's a truck out there?" Mike asked Arvo.

"No work." Arvo said.

"Well that sucks…" Mike muttered.

"I'm Brett by the way…" Brett said. "My girlfriend is-"

"I'm Tessa." The woman spoke. "My little brother is Issac."

"I might be able to fix up your truck… In exchange for a ride." Brett said.

"This isn't our place. We have a group waiting for us…." Vince explained.

"Oh…" Brett said.

"Is he okay?" Isaac suddenly asked, motioning towards Russell, who was half asleep.

"He fell into the lake…" Vince said. "He couldn't put any pressure on his legs."

"Holy shit…" Isaac muttered.

"I can take a look at him." Tessa offered.

Mike and Vince looked to the woman.

"You a doctor?" Vince asked.

"Not exactly, but I was going to medical school, just never got to finish…" Tessa said.

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Really." Tessa said. "Let me take a look?"

Vince nodded, "Go on…"

* * *

By late afternoon Clementine had finally started to feel better. She was feeling well enough to walk again, and even accepted a couple crackers to munch on, and she had downed a bottle of water.

Despite stopping every so often for bathroom breaks, the group figured they would be at the town before nightfall.

They finally arrived to the town just as the sun was starting to set. Clementine felt a bit guilty for having delayed the trip for so long. But it wasn't her fault that she wasn't feeling well, it was the baby's fault...

Upon entering the town, the first thing they noticed was an antique store.

Luke and Wyatt opted to check it out, while the rest of the group continued onto the church.

Luke peered through the darkened windows of the store.

It was too dark to see.

Wyatt tried to find a way into the store. He walked around the store, seeing many of the windows were boarded up. He continued to walk around the store, eventually managing to find a broken window. "Luke, over here."

Luke raised a brow and made his way over.

"Think there's anything in there?" Wyatt asked.

Considering the window was broken, Luke doubted it, but it was worth a look. "We might as well check it out."

They entered through the window, and saw the place was a wreak. Clearly scavengers, had cleaned it out.

There was nothing there.

Before they could leave however, they heard a familiar noise of snarls. They two quickly caught sight of about three walkers.

"Shit…" Wyatt muttered.

* * *

The group entered the large church and immediately the children were in awe.

"This is amazing!" Sarah said, as they looked around.

"It really is..." Bonnie said.

"Girls, stay close. We don't know if there are any walkers around..." Christa said.

The girls nodded.

The adults started to check the area for walkers. Fortunately, the found none.

"Can I feed the baby?" Clementine asked Sarita who was holding the infant.

"Sure, Clem." Sarita smiled at the child.

Clementine beamed.

"How about you hold him, while I make him a bottle." Sarita said.

Clementine nodded. "Okay..."

Sarita handed the child the baby.

As Clementine held the tiny infant, she wondered what her baby would be like...

Suddenly the baby started whimpering. Clementine tried to sooth the baby. She started making silly faces at AJ, and to her surprise the child fell quiet.

"There you go, goofball." She said. She hadn't expected that to work.

Sarita soon returned with a bottle. "Alright Clem. You remember how to feed him?"

"Yeah. I can do it." Clementine said, accepting the bottle. She started to feed baby AJ.

Once AJ finished his bottle Sarita showed the girl how to burp the infant.

"Why does he have to burp?" Clementine asked.

"If he doesn't burp, he'll spit up." Sarita said.

"Why?"

"When he's drinking he swallows air, and that can make him uncomfortable." Sarita said.

"Swallows air?" Clementine repeated, looking confused.

"That's right..." Sarita said. "If he doesn't burp, it can make his tummy hurt."

"Okay..." Clementine continued to pat AJ's back until the baby finally burped. "I think he's sleepy now."

"Probably." Sarita said. "I'll get him to bed; you go and get something to eat."

Clementine frowned as Sarita took AJ from her. She didn't want to eat; she was worried she'd end up sick like earlier that day.

"Go on, sweetie." Sarita urged, causing the child to sigh.

Clementine stood up and made her way on to the rest of the group.

Bonnie sent her a smile, which Clementine didn't return.

"Hey, city mouse." The redhead greeted. "You hungry?"

"No..." Clementine said.

"Clem," Christa called. "You have to eat something."

"It doesn't have to be much." Carlos said.

"Right. An apple, maybe?" Christa suggested, remembering how much the child loved them.

Clementine cringed.

"What's wrong?" Christa asked.

"I can't eat apples. They make me throw up." Clementine said.

Christa hummed, "I guess the baby's not an apple fan."

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Usually, what you crave the most is what the baby likes when their older." Christa said.

Clementine furrowed her brows, "So the baby doesn't like apples?"

"I guess not." Christa said.

"But why? They're good..." Clementine couldn't understand why HER baby didn't like apples.

"Not everyone likes the same taste, sweetie." Bonnie said.

"But it's my baby… Shouldn't they like the same things I like?" Clementine asked.

"It's doesn't always turn out like that, Clem." Christa said. "I'm sure you liked different things than your mom and dad liked."

"Well, yeah…" Clementine said. "But the baby's still inside me. It can't taste."

"Not yet anyway. But it will be able to in future…" Christa said.

"Oh…" Clementine said. The baby stuff was so confusing. It was giving her a headache.

* * *

Taking out the walkers was an easy task, and with the building being vacant of supplies, there was no point in staying.

Now the two men just wanted to get to the church in relax.

Luke and Wyatt had expected the town to be in bad shape. And it was just as they thought.

Every building had at least one broke window. Most had doors that were smashed in.

They passed a supermarket and searched it with no luck.

They then checked some houses, managing to find a few promising cans of food. However, it wasn't nearly enough for a group their size.

They decided to head to the church, unable to find anything else useful. They only hoped Mike, Russell, and Vince were having better luck than they were.

* * *

It was getting late. Everyone had decided to turn in. They hoped that the snow would stop soon, knowing they be stuck in the broken-up house otherwise. They were grateful they at least had the warm of a fire place.

"How you feeling, Russ?" Vince asked.

"My right leg is numb as hell…" Russell said, he was wrapped up in several blankets, while his jeans dried. "I got a little feeling back in the left."

"Yeah, well, Tessa says you should be fine." Vince said. "Just a mild frostbite."

"What's she know?" Russell grumbled.

"She went to medical school." Vince pointed out.

Russell just shrugged. "How do you think the others are doing?"

"I'm sure they're fine… They probably got to the town by now…" Vince said.

"Yeah. Well, I hope that town is safe…" Russell said. "It'll be nice to catch a break."

"For sure." Vince agreed. "But we might as well get comfy here. We're not going anywhere for a while."

"I guess you're right." Russell sighed. "…How do you think Becca's been coping?"

"Well, I think she's okay since Clem and Sarah are around." Vince said.

"It's horrible… What happened to Shel…" Russell said.

"It is…" Vince agreed. "But she made a sacrifice to save a child. Clementine would've died if it weren't for her."

"If they don't figure out a way to end that pregnancy, that sacrifice will be in vain." Russell scoffed.

"Don't say that." Vince said.

"It's true." Russell said. "Everyone knows that pregnancy will kill that kid. No point in lying to ourselves."

Vince shook his head, the whole situation with Clementine was hard to think about. "Maybe… But there's not much we can do at this point. She'll most likely miscarry it. No way that little girl will carry a baby to full term."

"True…" Russell said.

"We might as well get some rest. If you're feeling better tomorrow, we'll head out. We still gotta get the food to the group." Vince said.

"You know, I'm surprised that they actually had this much food." Russell said. "I figured it would be a small amount."

"Me too. Hell, I was thinking they might just screw us over." Vince said. "Glad it didn't end up that way."

"Yeah. Same here." Russell agreed.

"Anyway, I'm going to bed." Vince said. "You should try to get some sleep too." Vince settled himself on the seat by the windowsill, trying to fall asleep.

"As much as I can anyway…" Russell responded.

* * *

When they returned to the group everyone else was heading to bed. Luke and Wyatt decided to do the same.

The kids were already asleep, and it wasn't long until the rest of the group had gone to bed.

Everything was peaceful, for most of the group.

Clementine had horrible nightmares whilst she slept that night. She could still feel Carver's dirty hands on her as she tried to block out the horrid memories that still flashed in her head.

 _Clementine was taken aback when she found herself in a familiar room, on a familiar bed. She looked around and realizing with dread where she was._

 _"You don't know how much I've missed you, Honey."_

 _Clementine felt her heart drop as she heard that voice._

 _She felt arms embrace her tightly._

 _"You thought you could leave me? Thought you had escaped?" Carver asked._

 _This couldn't be happening. He was dead. Why was he here? Why was she here?_

 _"W-What do you want?" Clementine tried to keep her voice calm._

 _"To take back what's mine." Carver said._

 _Clementine pulled away from the man. "I'm not yours."_

 _The man frowned, "But you're wrong. You know who you belong to Clementine..."_

 _"I don't belong to anyone." Clementine said._

 _"You belong to me. Your body belongs to me. And that baby belongs to me." Carver replied. "Don't lie to yourself."_

 _Clementine gasped. How did he know about the baby?_

 _"That baby is mine. YOU are mine. There is no changing that." Carver said coldly._

 _She glowered. "It's not yours."_

 _His lip curled. "Nice try, Honey. There's no point denying it. The baby is mine. And you are mine."_

 _She looked up at him, her eyes flashing angrily, "I don't belong to anybody!"_

 _"_ _You belong to me, Clementine. You're carrying my child within you. You have been mine from the moment I laid eyes on you." Carver told her._

 _She shook her head, numbly. "It's NOT your baby!" Clementine cried, infuriated. "It's MY baby!"_

 _"How can you be sure it's not mine?"_

 _She couldn't, but that didn't matter. Carver was dead... This shouldn't be happening._

 _Clementine barely noticed Carver running his hand over her cheeks, it wasn't until the man embraced her once more, that she was snapped back into what was happening. However, she didn't fight it. She saw no point in doing so._

 _"You're mine." Carver whispered to the child. "I love you, honey. You should be eternally grateful to me."_

 _Clementine felt hate course through her as she heard that. "For what? For torturing me?"_

 _"I showed you what love is. No one will love you, Clementine. You can't be loved; you won't be loved. You're nothing but a dirty little whore. My dirty little whore." Carver smiled._

 _"...I hate you..." Clementine said._

 _"No, you don't." Carver simply replied. "You should appreciate what I've done. I even left you a gift to remember me by..." Carver brought his hand to her stomach, Clementine quickly smacked it away._

 _The man tsked. "Looks like I'll have to remind you who you belong to."_

 _The minute she heard those words she panicked. Her mouth went dry and her breathing became rapid._

 _He forced her to the bed, pinning her down. He undressed her. Clementine pleaded for him to stop, fear in her eyes. She tried to knee him in the groin, with no success._

 _"_ _Get away from me," She ordered. "Leave me alone._

 _Carver shook his head. "I don't think so, Honey. It won't be so bad. Just lie there and take it like a good girl. It'll be over soon enough."_

 _She felt his lips press against hers and-_

Clementine had woken up was a gasp. She couldn't stop the tremors that wreaked her little body. She was trembling and altered.

She hated that man so much. She hated how much of her he controlled. She had never wanted to be scared of anything… Yet she was terrified of that man.

Carver was gone, but she was still suffering. Now she was going to have a baby...

She couldn't understand why this was happening to her. Had she been a bad person? Her mom and dad always told her that bad things came to bad people and good things came to good people. This must have been punishment for getting people killed.

The child felt tears fill her eyes at the thought. She started quietly sobbing.

"Clem?"

"Yeah?" The child sniffled out.

"What's the matter?" Luke asked the girl.

"N-Nothing…" Clementine lied.

Luke took a seat beside her. "Come on, kiddo. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Clementine didn't respond. She just cried more.

"Hey…" Luke wrapped his arms around her, telling her everything would be okay. "Don't cry…"

Clementine whimpered a bit more, but felt slightly better as Luke comforted her.

"Are you still mad at me?" Clementine asked, snuggling closer to the man.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Luke asked the child.

"Because…. Because I'm pregnant…" Clementine replied.

Luke winced. "That's not your fault."

"Then whose fault is it?" Clementine asked.

Luke sighed, "It's that pedophile asshole's fault."

Clementine was silent for a moment before looking to Luke. "Luke…"

"Yeah, kid?"

Clementine hesitated, Carver's word echoing in her head. "…Whose baby is it?"

Luke nearly choked when he heard that question. "W-What?"

"Carver did the fucking- I mean, sex with me… And so did Troy… Then we did it too. So, whose baby is it?" Clementine asked.

Luke frowned. He couldn't answer that question. He didn't know the answer.

The child waited for an answer, but got none. She raised a brow and spoke again, "Luke?"

"Hey… Did you know I used to write songs?" Luke suddenly said, changing the subject.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah." Luke said. "I wrote quite a few actually." It was true, he used to write songs a lot during his free time.

Clementine cuddled next to Luke as he spoke to her. "Can you sing to me?"

"If you promise you won't laugh." Luke said.

"I won't." Clementine said. "I promise."

"Alright, kiddo…" Luke began singing as the child had requested.

The girl enjoyed his singing. It made her feel relaxed.

She followed his lead, simply repeating the words after he sing them.

Luke chuckled as she nestled in closer to him, trying to fight off sleep as he continued singing to her. She felt completely peaceful and at ease as he continued to sing. Eventually she drifted off to sleep.

Luke noticed the child was no longer responding to his singing and looked to find her fast asleep. She seemed so peaceful. He moved slightly, trying his best not to disturb her.

"Night, Clem…"

* * *

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this," Tessa spoke, "Your leg is swelled up pretty bad."

"So what now?" Mike asked.

"I'd suggest him taking it easy." Tessa said. "That's probably the best bet."

"For how long?" Vince asked. "We got a group waiting on us to bring supplies."

"No way he'll be able to walk on his leg." Tessa said. "Might as well stay put."

"We can't do that." Russell said.

"Well… It doesn't look like anyone's going anywhere anytime soon." Brett said.

They attention turn to Brett, who was peering out the window.

"Why not?" Vince asked.

"It's snowing something crazy out there." Brett said.

"Shit…" Vince muttered.

"Looks like we're going to be here for a while." Mike said.

"Might as well get comfortable." Tessa said.

* * *

When morning came and a dim light shined through the windows of the church, Luke awoke to voices speaking around him.

He quickly noticed Clementine was no longer beside him. He caught sight of the child over with Sarah and Becca.

Luke forced himself up. He made his way over to the where the other adults were talking. "What's going on?"

"Mike, Vince, and, Russell haven't gotten back yet." Bonnie said.

"They might of ran into trouble. Maybe they got stopped by walkers." Luke said.

"The weather's pretty bad too. They might have been caught in the snowstorm." Wyatt said.

"It's still snowing?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. Pretty bad." Wyatt said.

"We still have a good amount of supplies." Carlos said.

"That's true." Bonnie said.

"Wait… How do we know this shit wasn't a trap?" Kenny asked.

"Why would it be a trap?" Luke asked. "Seriously, what would they have to gain?"

"Revenge. We killed their little buddies." Kenny said.

"I doubt they'd take them back to their camp just to trap them." Christa said.

"Right Kenny…" Sarita said, gently placing her hand on his. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Whatever. I'm just saying…" Kenny said. His gaze drifted to the baby in his arms.

"Well, whatever the holdup is, I'm sure there's an explanation." Carlos said.

"Regardless, we shouldn't expect them to get here until after that storm lets up." Christa said.

* * *

They spent the whole day in the unfinished house, waiting for the snowfall to lessen.

Hours had passed and Russell had regained most of the feeling in his legs. Although, Tessa advised him to take it easy for another day.

It was fine by him. An opportunity to relax like they were was extremely rare.

"So where you guys heading?" Mike asked Brett.

"Not sure yet…" Brett replied. "Probably anywhere, but here."

"I hear that." Mike said.

"Wellington's one of our options." Isaac said.

"A lot of people talking about that place lately." Russell said. "What is it?"

"It's supposed to be a safe camp. You know, a refugee area." Isaac said.

"It sounds like a sack of shit." Vince said.

"It's not. It's out there." Isaac argued.

"What makes you so sure?" Vince retorted.

"Why else would so many people be talking about it?" Isaac asked.

"That's what a rumor is. Starts somewhere then spreads around like a wildfire." Vince said.

Isaac rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's one of our options." Tessa said. "But we're preferably trying to head somewhere warmer."

"Like Texas?" Mike said.

"Texas?" Brett asked.

"Actually that doesn't sound like a bad idea…" Tessa said, offering Mike a small smile.

Vince noticed, but he wasn't the only one. Brett also seemed to notice, as he wrapped a possessive arm around Tessa.

Vince frowned realizing this wasn't going to be good.

* * *

The day carried on pretty uneventful. For the first time in a while it felt relaxing. It was nice to finally catch a break.

Hell, the biggest thing that happened that day was Clementine throwing a tantrum after she told the group she wanted cookies. Pregnancy cravings were definitely setting in hard.

The moment she was told there weren't any cookies, she started crying. The child's sudden waterworks took the group by surprise, Clementine wasn't the type of child to cry over being told "no", and yet she had broken into tears over something stupid like cookies.

When Christa had snapped at the girl to stop acting that way, Clementine seemed to get a grip. It wasn't long before the child calmed down and after that she went to sit on one of the church pews and pout.

Luke looked at the child. The girl was wringing her hands. He could see she was visibly upset. He decided to go talk to the girl.

He approached a bit cautiously, he didn't want to upset the girl and further. "This seat taken?" He joked slightly.

Clementine glanced towards him. "Yeah… My imaginary friend is sitting there." She scoffed.

"I don't think he'll mind scooting." Luke said, taking a seat. "How you holding up, kiddo?"

"…I don't know…" Clementine said.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Luke asked. "Do you feel sick?"

"No… I just…" Clementine stopped, "I feel strange."

"In what way?" Luke questioned.

Clementine didn't know how to explain. "I… This baby… This pregnancy… It's weird…"

Luke sighed. Weird wasn't the word. "I know, kiddo."

"Is Christa mad at me?" Clementine asked.

"Nah, don't worry." Luke said.

"And you're not mad, right?" Clementine asked.

"Of course not…" Luke said. "Why would I be mad at you, Clem?"

"I don't know…" Clementine said. "I feel like someone is always mad at me…"

"I can't be mad at you, Clementine. You didn't do anything for me to be mad at." Luke said.

"That's good…" Clementine said. "I just keep wondering… If I did something wrong… Am I good or bad…"

"You haven't done anything wrong, Clementine. Don't you blame yourself for what happened." Luke said.

Clementine frowned, she only wished things were that simple.

"Am I good or bad?" Clementine asked.

"What do you think?" Luke asked.

"I don't know…" Clementine said.

"Well, I think you're a wonderful little girl." Luke said.

"Do you?" Clementine asked quietly.

"I do, Clem. I really do." Luke noticed the child bring her hand to her stomach. She was rubbing her stomach and she probably didn't even realize it. In that moment, Luke found himself hoping that little girl would have a miscarriage, right then and there.

He didn't want to think about a child having a baby. Children had no business having kids. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

"Luke…" Clementine mumbled.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Will you sing to me again?" The child asked.

"Now?" Luke asked back.

Clementine nodded. "Yeah…"

"Alright kiddo."

* * *

Pain seized Clementine in the middle of the night. She woke up gasping., a grimace on her face. The child curled up in a ball to try, "Please stop..." She muttered. "Please don't make me sick anymore…" She directed to the little life that was forming in her stomach.

She had spoken to Rebecca's baby when Rebecca was pregnant and Rebecca had said the child could hear her, so didn't that mean her baby should hear her as well? If so, why did it keep torturing her? Maybe it really was Carver's baby, and it was just trying to continue the job Carver wasn't around to do, making her miserable.

She'd been through so much anguish, so much pain, and so much grieving… She just wanted some peace. She wanted to feel good for once.

A sudden thought crossed her mind. She knew how to make herself feel good. How to forget the world for a moment, and be lost in a world of pleasure. She wanted pleasure. Pleasure to melt away all the emotional and physical pain she felt, at least for a little while.

She undid the clasps of her overalls, and they slumped down her body. Everyone was asleep, nobody would see. And even if they did, she truly didn't mind, as long as they didn't touch….

Luke was laid next to her, fast asleep. But that wasn't enough to stop her. She wanted to feel good, she was going to make herself feel good.

The child closed her eyes, running her hands down her body, pausing at her chest. It felt tender, painful almost. Ignoring the slight pain, she brought her hands lower. Her overalls were on just enough to hide her lower body, she slipped her hand into them and began focusing on pleasuring that little spot that made her feel so good.

The girl moaned as she played with herself. Her little body cried for more, and she sped up her movements.

"Clem?"

Clementine was too focused on the task at hand to hear Luke's voice calling for her.

Luke had been awoken by moans from the girl. His first assumption was the child was having a nightmare, but when he saw she was sitting upright he knew that wasn't the case.

The child was beside him, as she was when she had fallen asleep, but that wasn't what bothered Luke. What bothered Luke was the fact that her could hear little noises fall from her mouth. Her overall straps had fallen from her shoulders, and her tiny hand was moving at a rapid place, and Luke quickly realized what she was doing. The child was touching herself.

Luke grabbed hold of the girl's arm, stopping her. "Clem, don't do that!"

Clementine frowned, "Why? It feels nice..."

"It's... It's wrong." Luke said, he felt sick and uncomfortable. Part of him wanted to shove the child away, but he knew it wasn't her fault. She didn't know better, and he didn't want to startled her.

"But I like it..." Clementine said. "I want to have a nice cum..."

"W-What?" Luke choked.

"I want to cum… Please let me cum, Luke…" Clementine said, trying to pull her arm free. "I'm so wet right now."

"Stop it! Stop talking like that!" Luke said.

Clementine flinched.

"Get up." Luke said sternly.

The child didn't move.

"Get up. Get up, now." Luke ordered.

Clementine slowly stood, she was shaking with fear. She quickly fixed her overalls, covering herself back up.

"Go to the bathroom and get cleaned up and then go lay with Christa." Luke said.

"But I-"

"Go to bathroom and get cleaned, right now." Luke said.

Clementine didn't protest. She made her way towards the bathroom.

She cleaned herself up, suddenly feeling guilt hit her. She tried to was that guilt away, but felt more dirty after she had finished in the bathroom.

She looked at her reflection with a disgusted look, "You're dirty… A dirty little whore… No one will love you…"

She couldn't help but feel slightly better after berating herself. She exited the bathroom and slowly made her way over to Christa. She nudged the woman. "Christa…"

Christa groaned, pulling her eyes open to look at the young girl. "Yes, Clem?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Clementine asked.

"I thought you were with Luke…" Christa said.

"Luke's mad at me." Clementine said. "I guess I was naughty again…"

"What did you do?" Christa inquired in a hushed tone.

"It's not a big deal…" Clementine mumbled. "…I only did it because it felt good…"

"Did what?" Christa asked.

Clementine lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Clem…" Christa said, she pulled the child into her lap. "Did you try to touch him?"

"No… I was touching myself…" Clementine admit. "I thought it was okay…"

Christa frowned at that. She would definitely have to speak with the child about what was appropriate and what wasn't. "Go to sleep, baby girl." She was disgusted by what those horrible people had done to Clementine, and it had clearly taken a toll on the young girl's mental state.

Clementine laid down, trembling slightly. She had done it again. Made someone else angry with her.

She stuck her thumb in her mouth, trying to hum herself to sleep.

Clementine laid there, feeling sadness. She was so confused; she didn't understand if she was good or bad anymore.

And no matter what she did, she always felt like she was bad. There really was something wrong with her…


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the grammar check.**_

* * *

When the first light of dawn broke through the windows of the church, Clementine awoke feeling dreadfully ill.

The child squirmed her way out of Christa's arms, and struggled to her feet. She could feel her stomach churning as she moved hastily to the bathroom. The girl barely made it to the toilet before she started vomiting.

She stayed in that bathroom retching for nearly half an hour.

The child hated being sick and it seemed like that's all she ever was.

"Clem?" Came Christa's concerned voice along with a knock on the door. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" Clementine said in a shaky voice.

"I'm coming in…" With that, the door opened.

Clementine was at the sink, wiping her mouth.

Christa sighed, making her way to the child she started rubbing the girl's back. "It's alright, Clem."

Clementine shook her head. "It's not…"

Christa frowned as the little girl started trembling. "Clem?"

"I hate this… I hate this pregnancy… I just want it to be over…"

Christa was quiet for a moment. "What are you saying?"

"What does it sound like I'm saying? I want it to stop. I don't want to be sick everyday…"

"There's only one way to make it stop… You know what that is…"

Clementine lowered her head with a frown. "I know… But I don't want to kill my baby…"

"You can't think of it like that. You have to think of it as doing what's best for you…" Christa said.

"Okay… Well, I'm not going to kill my baby…" Clementine rephrased. "There's a lot of things I regret. I'm not going to let killing a baby go on that list."

"Clem…"

"If you're talking about what's best for me… Getting rid of the baby is not it." Clementine said. "It's hard enough to sleep at night, knowing how much blood is on my hands. I'm sure it would only be worse if I had to live with knowing that I killed my own child. I want it to at least have a chance to live…"

Christa was surprised by the child's words. "Let's get you water…"

Clementine nodded. "Okay…" She allowed the woman to take her hand and lead her from the bathroom.

* * *

"How you feeling Russ?" Vince asked, taking a seat beside Russell.

"Better than yesterday." Russell said.

"That's good." Vince said. "…It doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere for a while."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." Russell said.

"Why do you say that?" Vince questioned.

"We have some time to rest at least." Russell replied.

"True." Vince agreed.

"Think the others are okay at that town?" Russell asked.

"Probably. I hope so anyway." Vince said. "The problem now, is we need to figure out how to get baby formula."  
"Yeah… The only place I can think of is Howe's." Russell sighed.

"Me too." Vince said.

"But I'm pretty sure that the others won't be on board with that idea." Russell said.

"Yeah. But options are limited. Sometimes you gotta do what you need to do, not what you want to do." Vince said.

"I guess I still need to snap into that way of thinking…" Russell replied.

Vince gave a shrug. "Nothing we can do right now. We might as well just take it easy while we can."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Russell said. "After being out in the cold, it's nice to have a fireplace to rest beside."

"Hell yeah." Vince nodded.

"So… Where's Mike?" Russell asked.

"Last I saw, he was with that Tessa woman." Vince answered.

"Oh…" Russell said.

"I might be acting a little paranoid when I say this, but I don't think Mike should get too cozy around her…" Vince said. "I mean… She has a boyfriend."

"Yeah… But Mike seems like a smart guy. He won't do anything that he shouldn't." Russell shrugged.

Vince sighed, "I hope not. Things could end bad if he does."

* * *

Clementine ate what little she could at breakfast. There wasn't much she could stomach, and she was worried she might throw up again.

"Morning…" Luke's voice was suddenly heard.

Clementine glanced toward the man as he sat down. She wanted to talk to him, but she was nervous he might be angry at her.

Luke met her gaze for a moment before quickly looking away.

Clementine couldn't help but feel anxious around him.

The two of them remained silent through breakfast, not sparring each other another glance.

It wasn't until almost twenty minutes after breakfast had ended that Clementine finally mustered up to courage to speak to Luke.

The child nervously clutched her arm, as she approached the man. She unconsciously runs her fingers over her scars. "Hey Luke..."

Luke let out a sigh, looking to her with an emotionless expression. "What is it, Clem?"

Clementine swallowed, she felt a bit hurt by his monotone speaking. "I... Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you, Clem?" Luke asked.

"Because of last night..." Clementine said.

Luke fell silent. He wasn't mad at her, but he was completely disturbed. "Go play with your friends, Clem."

"But I-"

Luke ordered. "I said go."

Clementine frowned. Her heart clenched and she dug her nails into her skin as she walked away.

* * *

"So… What exactly happened last night?" Wyatt inquired.

"Clementine was… touching herself." Luke said. "I got her to sleep… I guess she woke up in the middle of the night… and I saw her playing with herself…"

"It's normal for children to explore their bodies..." Bonnie said.

"That's the thing though. She wasn't exploring herself. She...She knew exactly what she was doing. There's a difference between exploring and just… just flat out masturbation." Luke said.

"Well... She's probably done it before." Bonnie said. "I mean, it's normal for kids to touch themselves."

Luke shook his head. "Not that way. Not the way she was doing it. Kids her age don't know what an orgasm is. I tried to stop her, and she started to beg me to 'let her cum', and I quote those words… You don't hear a kid talk like that. It's not normal."

"There's a reason why she's doing this." Christa said, sounding annoyed. "Clementine knew nothing about sex before. She didn't know touching herself would make her feel good. But since that asshole put his damn hands in her pants, she knows more about sex with her body than she does with her mind."

Everyone knew that was true. Silence fell over them for a while. It was uncomfortable talking about Clementine masturbating.

"We didn't know that guy was touching on her." Kenny said. "She should've said something."

"Maybe she was scared." Christa said. "Maybe he threatened her. You don't know what's going through a victim's head while they're being sexually molested. So, don't try to blame her for anything."

"I'm not blaming her. I'm just saying, it was hard for us to help when Clementine was protecting her abuser." Kenny said.

"I don't think she was protecting him." Sarita said. "I'm sure she was just scared. It's a really traumatic thing for anyone to face, especially a child."

"It's something that shouldn't have happened to her." Christa said.

"You're right… It never should've happened, but it did. And we can't sit here and ignore her behaviors now." Luke said.

"So what do you want to do? You want to punish her?" Christa demanded.

"No. Of course not…" Luke said. "I just…I… I don't know. It's just disgusting to see a little kid trying to flirt with adults and touching herself in front of people."

"It's obvious that what happened had an impact on the child's mental state." Carlos said. "Which is clearly expected after such a horrible experience."

"I know… But… But this is wrong." Luke said.

"This is not something that happened over night. Clementine is acting this way because you people let that pedophile touch on her!" Christa snapped. "The masturbation, the lash outs, the distantness. If she didn't know touching herself would make her feel good, she wouldn't be doing it. It's because that man showed her how."

"Christa… just calm down." Wyatt said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Christa said.

"We didn't let that shit happen! So, don't try to put that on us. We didn't know that guy was going to touch her!" Kenny said.

"You didn't stop it either!" Christa told the angrily.

"Guys, this isn't anyone's fault." Wyatt said. "There are just some sick people in the world."

"If we really want to help Clementine, we can't start fighting…" Sarita said. "That's only going to stress her out more."

"Sarita's right. If we want this child to get better, we have to actually function, as a group." Carlos said.

No one said anything… That was easier said than done.

* * *

"Clementine won again." Sarah giggled.

Wyatt had managed to find a couple board games in a closet and had given them to the girls so they had something to do. Clementine and Becca were currently in their third match of connect four, with Clementine now winning by one point.

"Damn..." Becca swore. "Play again."

Clementine declined the offer with a shake of the head.

"Why not? Scare I'll beat you?" Becca teased/

"I'm not in the mood..." Clementine said. She just wanted to cry she was so depressed about everything that was going on.

"You feeling okay?" Becca asked the child.

"Yeah... Why wouldn't I be." Clementine asked.

Becca gave her a funny look, then shrugged.

"Clem…" Sarah called.

Clementine looked to her friend with a sigh.

"You're bleeding…" Sarah motioned to the younger girl's arm. "Do you want me to get my dad?"

"No… I'm fine. I'll just clean it up…" Clementine said.

"…Are you sure you're okay?" Sarah asked.

"I'm fine, Sarah." Clementine said. "You two can play. I'm going to go to the bathroom."

The two teens nodded.

Clementine stood up and walked away.

She could hear them laughing and felt a bit envious. How come they could be so happy while Clementine felt so depressed. She was in a funk and she needed to pull herself out.

She ran her fingers over her scarred arms once again. Her nails had drawn some blood, but it wasn't enough. The pain was barely noticeable. She felt a compelling urge to find something to cut herself.

The child made her way to the front corner of the church where the group had placed their bags of supplies.

No one was paying attention. The adults that should have been watching, were all talking about something. Clementine didn't know what, but she didn't care either.

Clementine silently dug into a duffle bag, searching for a knife, a razor, anything sharp enough for her to draw blood.

As the child dug through the bag, her hand met a cold metal. A gun...

She picked up the weapon, checking it for bullets. There was one... That would be enough. She only need to make one shot and everything could be over. She couldn't do it there... They would try to stop her.

The girl looked around, everyone still seemed distracted. She figured one of the houses would be a good spot for her to be alone.

She wondered if anyone had notice her depressed mood. She figured her quiet behavior was enough to tip at least someone off.

Regardless, the child managed to make her way out of the church without anyone noticing.

* * *

"So, no bullshit," Mike said. "You prefer summer or winter."

"Summer all the way." Tessa said.

"Hell yeah." Mike said. "Fuck the snow…"

Tessa chuckled. "You know, we have quite a lot in common."

"Yeah... We do." Mike said.

"So, you said this isn't all of your group? How many people you got with you?" Tessa inquired.

"There fifteen of us." Mike said.

"Big group you got there." Tessa asked. "You guys got any kids?"

"Yeah. Two girls, your brother's age. A little girl, and a baby." Mike said. "Yeah… But if I'm being honest, half of them are loony-tunes."

Tessa sighed. "I think we all know our fair share of loonies."

"You know one?" Mike asked with a chuckle.

"Brett can… be a bit much at times." Tessa said honestly.

"Same with that group." Mike said. "We got kids too… And the little one is out of her damn mind."

"Kid's crazy?" Tessa asked sounding shocked.

"Yeah…" Mike said. "She's really inappropriate."

"Well, a lot of kids can be… They don't know any better." Tessa said.

"Believe it or not, the kid is pregnant..." Mike told her.

Tessa gave a gasp. "Holy shit. How old is she?"

"Ten or eleven. She was raped." Mike clarified.

"No wonder she's fucked up..." Tessa frowned.

Mike sighed. "Yeah..."

* * *

Clementine walked her way to around the abandon town. She clutched the gun tightly in her little hand.

Her feet moved on their own and before long the child found herself sitting in a dark house. The gun was pressed against her head.

She closed her eyes and whimpered. "I… I'm sorry, Lee… I tried to be strong, I can't do it anymore…" Tears filled the child's eyes. She started to tremble as she brought her finger to the trigger of the gun.

She tried to pull the trigger.

 _Pull the trigger…_

 _Pull the trigger!_

 _ **PULL IT!**_

Her hand shook more, the gun wobbled. Her breaths came in short, stifled gasps.

 _ **PULL THE TRIGGER!**_

She couldn't do it. Something was stopping her. She couldn't pull the trigger.

"DAMN IT!" She shouted, lowering the gun.

The child allowed the gun to fall from her hand and got to her feet. She started pacing. Why couldn't she pull the stupid trigger? What was wrong with her?

"This is your fault! This is all your fault!" Clementine yelled. "I hate you!" She snapped to her unborn child her voice as cold as an iceberg.

Immediately, she regretted those words. But she refused to take it back. She wouldn't…

The child took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She searched around the floor for anything sharp, sighing in relief as she found a piece of glass…

In one quick movement, she pulled the glass across her forearm, slicing through her skin. One time, two times, three times. It wasn't enough… She tossed the glass, feeling frustrated.

She reached for the gun again, she knew she couldn't will herself to pull the trigger. "What am I supposed to do?" She was quiet for a moment. "Can't you hear me, Lee…? Why won't you answer?"

She started to absent-mindedly bring the weapon lower to her crotch. Rubbing over her overalls in a circular motion. She gasped, feeling a slight pleasure run through her body.  
She was feeling a bit light headed, and her bleeding arm was aching… If she was going to die of blood lost, so be it. But she was going to make herself feel good one last time before that.

"Clementine!"

The child jumped, pushing the gun away from herself. Much to her surprise, the gun went off with a loud bang.

* * *

"So I was thinking… once the snow lets up a bit I can work on the truck outside." Brett said as he and the others gathered around the fireplace while eating some chilli.

"No work…" Arvo said with a frown.

"It's worth a try…" Brett said. "We can't just stay here forever. I'm mean we're already freezing as it is."

"Fireplace is warm." Arvo said.

"At least it's better than outside." Mike said.

"Yeah, Brett." Tessa said. "Don't complain."

Brett sent the two a look. "I'm not complaining… I'm just stating a fact."

"You need to stop being so miserable all the time." Tessa said.

"You're one to talk." Brett retorted. "I never met anyone who complains more than you."

"Really?" Tessa asked, looking annoyed.

"Really." Brett repeated.

"Guys, why do you always have to do this?" Isaac asked. "I hate when you two fight."

"Your sister's always the one picking a fight." Brett said.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Are you serious right now? You're such a child Brett."

"You're both being ridiculous." Isaac grumbled. "I'm sick of this shit." The boy threw down his can and stormed out of the room.

"Isaac!" Tessa called. She shot Brett a glare. "Look what you did…"

"I'm going to bed." Brett announced, turning away from the woman.

Tessa stood up. "I'm going to check on my brother…"

"Maybe you should just give Isaac some space…" Russell suggested to Tessa.

Tessa however ignored him, walking off.

Mike stood after a moment. "I'll go make sure everything's alright."

Brett send him a look, but said nothing. Instead he just laid down.

Vince shook his head; he was sick and tired of drama.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking? You were going to kill yourself?" Kenny demanded, picking up the gun.

Clementine didn't respond.

"Clementine, what's going on?" Sarita asked gently.

"Nothing…" Clementine mumbled.

"You cut yourself?" Sarita asked, noticing the child's arm was bleeding.

Clementine frowned. "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't lie. You know you meant to." Kenny grumbled. "We were looking all over for you!"

Clementine covered her ears. "I don't like being yelled at." She spoke in a flat tone.

"Clementine-" Kenny tried to grab the child's arm but she moved away.

Kenny and Sarita exchanged a glance.

"Come on, sweetie… Let's go back to the church…" Sarita said.

Clementine only gave a nod. She allowed the two adults to lead her from the house.

"Clementine, thank God." Christa said. "Are you okay?"

Clementine shrugged. "I'm fine…"

"She's not fine! She fucking cut herself…" Kenny said.

"What?" Christa gasped.

Clementine ignored them. She walked towards Carlos. "I'm hurt…"

"Is that so?" Carlos simply replied.

Clementine nodded.

"What happened?" Carlos asked.

"I cut myself…" Clementine said.

"By accident?" Carlos asked in a sarcastic tone.

"No… I was going to kill myself." Clementine admit. "But I couldn't."

"We need to talk…" Christa approached the child.

"Do we?" Clementine responded bitterly.

"Yes, we do." Christa said.

"I'll get the first aid kit." Carlos went to retreat some supplies to treat the child's wound.

"Clementine, why would you do this to yourself?" Christa asked the child.

"It's not the first time…" Luke said, approaching the two. "She's done it quite a few times actually."

Christa frowned. "There's a lot we need to talk about."

"Like what?" Clementine asked.

"Like you hurting yourself… Touching yourself…" Christa said. "Like you having a baby."

"I don't want to talk about the stupid baby!" Clementine snapped. "I didn't ask for it! I don't want it!"

"We can try to induce a miscarriage…" Carlos said, returning with the supplies.

"What's a miscarriage?" Clementine asked as the man started to examine her arm.

"The fetus will basically be loss." Carlos explained.

"You mean it will die?" Clementine asked.

Carlos gave a nod. "That's correct. It's dangerous, but…"

"I don't want to… I don't want to kill my baby…" Clementine said.

"You should think about it…" Carlos replied. He started treating the child's arm. "It might be the best option."

Clementine furrowed her brows.

"Since I'm going to be treating your arm… We just take care of your other injuries as well." Carlos said.

"I don't have any." Clementine said.

"You know what I'm talking about…" Carlos said. "I need to keep you from getting an infection in your vaginal area."

Clementine frowned, "But it hurts…"

"It's going to hurt… But an infection will hurt more." Carlos told her.

Clementine bit her lip, "Can we… do it somewhere else?"

"Sure…" Carlos agreed.

"There's an office upstairs." Christa said. "We can take her up there."

Carlos gave a nod.

Soon they headed upstairs, Clementine trying her best not to remain calm.

Her face was grave as they entered the office, and she kept her emotionless mask the entire time, despite the pain she was in.

Christa couldn't help but feel concerned about the young girl.

* * *

"You two always fight like that?" Mike asked as he and Tessa walked side by side to check on Isaac.

"He's always being difficult." Tessa sighed.

Mike frowned, "Must be tough."

Tessa nodded. "It can be."

"I'm sorry…" Mike said.

"It's not your fault. I just wish… I had someone who would treat me right…" Tessa said. "You know?"

The two locked eyes, both leaning in closer to each other... Tessa moved in and pressed a kiss to Mike's lips.

Mike welcomed the kiss before quickly pulling back and turning away. "I think I should get to bed..."

"Right..." Tessa said. "I'm... I'm going to go check on Isaac."

Tessa rushed out of the room.

Mike watched her go before massaging his temples and fighting back a sigh.

* * *

That night Clementine's appetite was nonexistent. She just felt like she would burst into tears at any moment.

She didn't feel like being around anyone. There was too much on her mind…

She couldn't sleep well that night. She felt horrible…

She fought back tears. "I'm sorry... I don't hate you... I'm just scared, okay... I don't know what to do..." She directed towards her baby. She really didn't know what to do…she was scared, vulnerable, and pregnant.

She was _pregnant_. She had a life growing inside her.

She couldn't pretend anymore. Couldn't ignore it…

Her body felt empty. Yet, deep down she knew that she longed to hold that child that was growing inside her. She wanted to see it.

 _Someone to love forever._

There was no such thing as forever, but Clementine still felt a bit hopeful.

* * *

For the next two days, the snow continued to fall heavily. Once in a while the snow would let up only to start again. When it finally looked like things were about to clear up, the sky became cloudy again only an hour later and the snow showers continued, on and off.

There was no way they were going to take a chance of going out in that weather.

During the time of waiting, Vince made sure they had everything packed up in order to be ready to leave when the snow had cleared up enough for them to travel.

Mike and Tessa had an instance connection. And over the course of a few days, their quick friendship only became stronger.

It was obvious to everyone that the two were closer than strangers should be. Despite Tessa having a boyfriend, she seemed more drawn to Mike.

"You don't think you're getting a little too close to Tessa?" Vince asked.

Mike sent him a look. "Why are you asking me that?"

"She has a boyfriend." Vince reminded.

"Whoa. Whoa…" Mike said. "I don't like what you insinuating. Tessa is just a nice person to talk to."

"Maybe... But... I'm just warning..." Vince said.

"Well I appreciate the warning, but I can handle myself." Mike said.

Vince sighed. "Alright..."

* * *

Clementine had expected things between her and Luke would be awkward again. Awkward would be an understatement. Luke had gone straight back to ignoring her. By the afternoon Clementine was certain that he was trying to avoid her. To add to that Kenny had made it clear that he was upset about Clementine's suicide attempt, and the way he showed his anger was to also ignore her…

"I hate this…" Clementine mumbled.

"Hate what?" Sarah asked.

"When they act like this… Luke's avoiding me. And Kenny's upset…"

"Why?" Becca questioned.

"Because of some… things that happened…" Clementine said. She didn't say any more about the incidents.

"What happened?" Sarah asked.

"Something…" Clementine said. "But… He's acting like I've got a disease or something. I feel bad. Luke's avoiding me and now Kenny is too. Plus, Mike was angry at me before they left."

"They're just... scared." Sarah said.

"You don't think I'm scared? I'm the one who has to go through this. I'm the one who's sick all the time. I'm the one having a baby. And they're scared?" Clementine lowered her voice, whimpering a bit. "I don't know what I did wrong. I didn't ask for this..."

"I know..." Becca said with a sigh. "You know… Sarah and I will be there for you."

"Really?" Clementine sniffled.

Becca nodded. "Of course. You're our ride or die."

"T-Thanks..." Clementine sniffled. "I can't do this by myself."

"You won't have to…" Becca reassured with Sarah giving a nod.

* * *

"It's been days. What is taking them so long?" Bonnie asked.

"Look outside." Wyatt said. "Does it look like they could travel in that weather?"

"No… but… I'm just worried." Bonnie said.

"It's a trap, I warned y'all." Kenny stated.

"Kenny, just stop." Luke huffed.

"Stop what?" Kenny asked.

"Being an asshole." Luke said.

"You have the nerve to call someone an asshole." Kenny grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luke questioned.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Kenny said. "You'd rather roll around like a teenager, than help your own group."

"Damn it, Kenny!" Luke spat. "You have no idea what kind of shit I'm dealing with."

"Ain't no different than the shit any of the rest of us are dealing with." Kenny said.

Luke shook his head, standing up, he walked off.

* * *

It had taken almost five days for the sky to clear up and the sun to come out. Finally, the snow had begun to melt at least a bit.

Still, Vince, Russell, and Mike decided to stay put for another day. They realized they had been gone for about a week. They were sure the rest of the group was starting to get concerned.

During the days they had spent holed up in that unfinished house, Mike and Tessa had only gotten closer. The two had a clear chemistry. Vince didn't know how to feel about it. He didn't want any trouble and he knew that Tessa starting a love triangle with was only going to bring trouble.

Things were getting heavy between Mike and Tessa. The two had developed an emotional attachment with each other and as a result Tessa was detaching herself from Brett.

Brett had decided to do some work on the old truck outside, in hopes of getting it running.

"Think Brett is suspicious?" Mike asked as he took a seat on the bed beside Tessa.

"Who cares? I told you, I'm just waiting for the right moment to break up with him."

Mike frowned, "Yeah… I just don't want any trouble with him."

"Hey…" Tessa grabbed his chin. "Don't worry about him."

"But-"

"Once I leave him, it will be just you and me." Tessa kissed him.

Mike smiled. "That sounds good."

"Now… Let's have some fun…" Tessa said, pulling her shirt over her head.

* * *

"Look, I know they might be dealing with a lot of shit... But we're starting to run low on supplies. We can't just wait for them." Wyatt said.

"So what do you suggest?" Christa asked.

"We'll have to send some people on a run." Wyatt said. "We need to get supplies before we actually run out. Better safe than sorry."

"We need baby formula." Sarita said. "We don't have much left."

"There's only one place I know that has formula." Bonnie said.

"Right… Luke and I did find a car when we were looking for Clem the other day. It has some gas, not much, but it would definitely get us pretty close to Howe's." Wyatt told them.

"No one wants to go back there." Kenny said.

"I'll go." Bonnie replied. "Someone's going to have to go back if we want the baby to survive. Howe's was full of supplies."

"You can't go alone." Luke sighed. "I'll go with you." As much as he never wanted to go back to that place, he knew he had to put his feelings aside and put the group's needs first.

"I'll go too." Wyatt said. "We'll watch each other's backs."

"Alright, that's settled." Bonnie said.

Luke simply nodded.

"I guess we can head out, first thing tomorrow morning." Wyatt said.

Luke and Bonnie agreed.

* * *

Mike and Tessa redressed themselves, cautiously making their way out of the bedroom.

Mike was surprised when he looked out the window to see Brett was still working on the truck.

"Have fun?" Vince scoffed.

"Nothing happened." Mike said. "We were just talking."

"Of course you were." Vince said.

"Brett's still out there. It's getting late. He should come inside." Tessa said, looking a bit worried.

"I'll go talk to him." Mike offered.

"Thanks." Tessa smiled.

Mike made his way outside and Isaac looked to his sister, "Tessa… Can we talk?"

"Sure." Tessa said.

"Alone." Isaac stood.

"Okay…" Tessa followed her brother as he led her from the room.

Meanwhile, Mike approached the truck Brett was working on.

"Hey there." He called, making his presence known.

Brett didn't even look to him. "Hey Mike."

"It's getting kind of late… Maybe you should stop for the night. Get something to eat."

"No thanks." Brett replied.

Mike scratched his head nervously. "…You need a hand?"

"I'm good." Brett said coldly.

"Oh alright… Cool."

"No… Not cool." Brett unexpectedly gave him a shove.

"What the hell man?!" Mike demanded as he regained his balance.

"I want you to stay the hell away from my girl!" Brett said.

"Chill man. We're just friends." Mike raised his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Bullshit!" Brett snapped. "I mean it. You stay away from her… Or you and I will have a problem… Hear me?"

"I… I hear you." Mike said.

"Good." Brett went back towards the truck, leaving Mike standing there in shock.

Mike headed back into the house and was met by Vince.

"What's going on?" Vince asked.

"What are you talking about?" Mike asked.

"What was that outside?" Vince asked.

"Nothing… The guy's just an asshole." Mike said.

"You're sleeping with her?" Russell suddenly spoke up.

Mike's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"With Tessa." Russell said.

Mike immediately denied it. "No man, we're just friends…"

Neither Russell nor Vince were buying that.

Mike sighed. "Okay… I like her. I really do…"

"She has a boyfriend." Vince said again.

"But she doesn't love him. She's told me." Mike said.

Vince shook his head. "This isn't going to end well, man. You're playing with fire."

"Maybe it's worth it…" Mike said.

Vince couldn't disagree more...

* * *

"So… What's going on between you and Mike?" Isaac asked.

"I think I love him…" Tessa said honestly.

"Come on Tess… This is wrong… What about Brett?" Isaac asked.

"What about Brett? I want to be with Mike…" Tessa said.

Isaac frowned. "Then you have to tell Brett."

"I won't… And you won't either. You gotta have my back, baby bro."

"I always have your back…" Isaac said.

Tessa hugged her brother. "I know you do."

* * *

The sun rose the next morning and Bonnie, Luke, and Wyatt prepared to set out.

Luke felt a tug on his sleeve as he finished tying his shoe. He looked over to see an eleven-year-old girl, the child was wearing a frown.

"What's wrong, Clem?" Luke asked.

"Are you really going back there?" Clementine asked Luke.

Luke sighed. "Yeah kid. I am."

"But why?" Clementine demanded. "Why would you want to go back there?"

"I don't want to Clem." Luke said. "I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do. Why would you go back to Howe's? It's horrible there!" Clementine snapped. She felt like she was somehow being betrayed.

Luke groaned, kneeling to the child's level. "Clementine, I don't want to go back there… But I can't just sit here… AJ needs formula…"

"We can find it somewhere else."

Luke shook his head. "Howe's is our best bet…"

"Then let me go with you. I can help." Clementine said.

"No Clem. You have to stay here. You need a doctor; in case anything happens with the baby." Luke said.

"It's not even a baby. It's just a stupid fetus. Jane said it can't feel anything." Clementine crossed her arms.

"Jane doesn't know what she's talking about. Why are you listening to her anyway? She tried to push you down some stairs." Luke asked.

"She wasn't trying to hurt me. She only wanted to help." Clementine said.

Luke stood up. "She could've killed you…"

"But she didn't…" Clementine said.

Luke let out another sigh. "Just… Just be good, okay? We'll be back as soon as we can."

Clementine frowned, but nodded. "Okay…"

* * *

"I think we should head out today." Vince said. "Now that the weather's better…"

"Why?" Mike questioned. "We should wait until that truck's running."

"Who knows how long that will be." Russell said. "We kept the group waiting long enough. We need to head back."

"I guess you're right." Mike sighed. "What about the others?"

"We need to worry about our group. Not these people." Vince said. It may have sounded harsh, but it was true.

Mike was silent for a moment. "Maybe they can come with us."

"Mike…" Vince said in a warning tone.

"I'm going ask Tessa. She might want to. She can help the group out…" Mike said.

"Mike-" Vince groaned as Mike walked away. He just had a bad feeling about this…

* * *

The child was feeling so many mix emotions. She was lost in a sea of self-resentment and hurt and shame. And the fact that her closest friend was ignoring her didn't help. She observed him innocently as he played with the baby.

She was tired of being ignored. She tried her best to shrug it off, to not worry about it, but it was bothering her.

She decided she needed to go talk to him.

With slow and nervous steps, she approached the man.

He wore a smile as he spoke to AJ and appeared to be in a good mood. "Look at you, little guy… You're going be tougher than me when you grow up."

"Maybe he won't have to be…" Clementine spoke up.

Kenny didn't say a word. Clementine felt her heart clench as her friend didn't even bother to look at her.

"Kenny... I just…" Clementine paused. "Do you hate me?"

"What?" He seemed taken aback. "No… Why would I hate you?"

"You've been ignoring me." Clementine pointed out.

"I am not. I'm talking to you right now, aren't I?" Kenny said.

Clementine didn't respond.

"Look, I don't hate you… I can't… But…what you did hurt me." Kenny said.

Clementine raised a brow. "How?"

"Katjaa… Katjaa DID exactly what you were going to do." Kenny said. "Do you know how bad I'd hurt if I lost you?"

"I… I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking about that..." Clementine stammered. She was starting to feel bad.

Kenny scoffed in response. "I know… Pretty selfish if you ask me."

"Please don't be mad at me." Clementine held back tears. "I'm hurting too. And everything's just so… so bad right now. You have to understand."

"I can't understand, Clem. You don't just end things." Kenny said.

"I didn't end anything! I'm still here aren't I?!" Clementine snapped.

AJ whimpered a bit from the noise.

"Quiet down, you're making the baby upset." Kenny scolded.

Clementine shook her head. "I'm still suffering everyday!"

"Suffering?" Kenny asked. "You act like we're not here, looking out for you!"

"Because you're not!" Clementine snapped.

AJ said wailing as the girl yelled.

Kenny sent the girl a look. "Really? And who took the beating for you after you had radio?"

"I only got the radio to help you guys!"

"You're not the only one suffering. I lost my son. My wife." Kenny said.

"I've lost people too. I had to shoot Lee!" Clementine said. "I saw my parents as walkers. I've dealt with more pain than I even knew was possible…"

"So you thought the solution to that would be putting a gun to your head?" Kenny asked. "Everyone's hurting. You don't see me trying to kill myself. Do you know what feels like to get beaten almost to death?"

Clementine sent the man a glare. "Do you know what it feels like to get raped?"

Kenny frowned at that. "Clem…"

"Where were you?! Where were you when I was being raped?!" Clementine asked.

"Damn it, Clem! It's not my fault that you let that man do that to you!" Kenny snapped at the child.

Clementine's eyes grew wide at his words.

"Let him- I didn't let him! I... I didn't want that!" Clementine said. "You think I wanted him to...to hurt me?"

"You didn't stop him." Kenny said.

"I couldn't." Clementine said. She couldn't believe Kenny was actually blaming her for what happened.

"You were protecting him Clem!" Kenny said.

Clementine shook her head. "I wasn't protecting him! I was protecting you! And everyone else."

"We asked you time and time again."

"No you didn't. You asked and when I finally told you guy, you didn't help me. Nobody did anything when Carver did it, and nobody did anything when Troy did it." Clementine said.

"We tried." Kenny said. "It's not easy to help when you're protecting-"

"I was scared, okay!" Clementine admit. "I didn't want anyone to die… I thought if I did what Carver wanted, everyone would be happy… everyone could be safe…"

"Clementine, I didn't mean it…" Kenny said.

"I'm really starting to learn who means what they say and who doesn't... If I've learned anything, it's that you can't trust anyone." Clementine said with a frown.

She turned and walked away, leaving him staring at a spot on the floor.

* * *

Sarita didn't know what had happened when she found little Clementine whimpering in the back of the church, but instantly her protective instincts kicked in and she felt the urge to comfort the girl. "Clementine, are you okay?"

"It doesn't matter." Clementine said, wiping her tears away.

"Clem… Sweetie, what happen?" Sarita asked, keeping her arms wrapped around the distraught child.

"Kenny thinks it's my fault." Clementine said.

Sarita looked confused. "Thinks what is your fault?"

"What happened at Howe's."

Sarita frowned at that. "No he doesn't."

"He said it was... He said I let it happen. He thinks it's my fault." Clementine whimpered.

"Clementine, that's not true. Whatever he said, he didn't mean it." Sarita said, rubbing the girl's back to comfort her.

"He can't even look at me." Clementine scoffed.

"He's just… going through a hard time… You know how he is…" Sarita said.

"I'm going through a hard time. That doesn't give him an excuse to be an asshole." Clementine said. "Carver...Carver told me it was my fault that he...h-hurt me."

"It's not your fault. It's not." Sarita said. "And don't listen to anyone who says it was."

"Even if I liked some of it?" Clementine asked.

"Nothing that happened is your fault. I promise you that. And no one here blames you." Sarita said.

"Except Kenny." Clementine muttered.

"He doesn't… He just says things without thinking." Sarita said.

"Which means he wanted to say it. He really feels that way." Clementine said. "He hates me..."

"He does not hate you. He just… doesn't understand..." Sarita said.

"Doesn't understand what?" Clementine inquired.

"How hard things are for you…" Sarita said.

"So… I'm not a whore?" Clementine asked.

Sarita frowned at that, using her hand to wipe the girl's tears. "No baby. You're not. I'm going talk to him... Go play with your friends, okay..."

"Okay..." Clementine agreed.

Sarita waited for the child to make her way over to her friends, before making her way over to her boyfriend. "Kenny, we need to talk."

"What about?" Kenny grumbled.

"About Clem." Sarita said.

Kenny let out a sigh.

"She told me you blamed her for what happened…" Sarita sounded disappointed. "Why would you say that to her."

"She was protecting him. You know that as much as I do. I'm not saying it's her fault he touched her but she could've told us." Kenny said.

"Kenny, she was scared. You have to try to imagine how terrifying that must have been for her." Sarita said.

"That's why I can't understand why she didn't say anything. She knows I would've done what I could to kill that man…" Kenny replied.

"She was probably going through a lot of emotions… She was being forced into doing something she never knew about." Sarita said.

"I get that." Kenny responded.

"So why are you treating her this way?" Sarita asked.

"She took that gun and tried to kill herself. I have the right to be pissed."

"She thinks you hate her." Sarita suddenly said.

"What?" Kenny furrowed his brows. "I told her I didn't."

"She's so hard on herself. It's horrible. I just feel awful for the poor thing…" Sarita said. "Everything is having a huge effect on her mental state, she's already insecure. She needs support right now. Not for you to turn against her."

"I… I never meant to make her feel like that…" Kenny said. "Fuck… I'm screwing up again..."

"Kenny…"

"I'm sorry." Kenny said.

"Don't apologize to me... Go fix it." Sarita pointed to where Clementine was. She spoke as if she was scolding a child.

Kenny shook his head. "I can't."

"Well you can't keep avoiding her, Kenny." Sarita said. "She's hurting right now…"

"I can't face her either. I'll only hurt her more." Kenny said.

"I don't think it's possible that you could hurt her more than you already have..." The words left her mouth before she could stop them. Sarita feels bad when she sees how deeply her words have hurt him. Kenny looks like he's about to cry- he quickly looks away.

"I shouldn't have said that…" Sarita said. "I-"

Kenny cut her off. "I… I'll talk to her." He handed Sarita the baby.

"Okay… Just be careful…" Sarita said.

Kenny gave a nod. The feeling of guilt was almost overwhelming. He felt like a monster for saying those awful things to that poor child who had already experienced so much emotional and physical agony.

* * *

Luke stared out of the car window as they drove down the road. It had been a few hours since they left for Howe's.

The vehicle was silent-no radio, no talking, nothing.

Luke steeled his nerve and took a deep breath. He didn't want to go back there. Never again.

Unwanted images flashed through his mind. He tried not to think about what happened between him and Clementine. The more he tried keep himself composed, the more anxious he found himself feeling. It was bad enough that he remembered that horrid stuff everytime he looked at Clementine, but now they were going back to the very place that the devil himself had tortured them.

"Luke, is something the matter?" Bonnie asked.

Luke stayed quiet. He wanted to yell at the woman. To ask her what she thought was the matter, but he didn't.

"Luke…" Bonnie called again.

"If it weren't for that baby... I would never go back to that miserable place..." Luke said.

"None of us want to come back here." Wyatt said.

"I know... But think about it this way. After today we can go back to the town and start a new life. Without these horrible memories." Bonnie said.

"That's not true." Luke said.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Clem's having a baby... We're starting a new life alright, but it ain't going to be a happy one..." Luke said.

Bonnie sighed. So much for lightening the mood.

* * *

"Clementine wins again." Sarah laughed.

"How come you're so good at this stupid game?" Becca groaned.

Clementine shrugged.

"Clementine, can I talk to you?" Kenny called, approaching the child.

Clementine hesitated, but stood up.

Kenny took the child's hand and led her to sit on one of the pews. "You know... I didn't mean that... I'm sorry for what I said..."

Clementine bit her lip, avoiding his gaze.

"Clem... None of that stuff, nothing that he did, or made you do was your fault..." Kenny said.

"You... You really hurt my feelings..." Clementine said honestly.

"I know... And I'm so, so sorry." Kenny said. "Sometimes… Sometimes I forget you're still just a kid. I'm really sorry, Clementine. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Yeah..." Clementine mumbled.

"Thank you..." Kenny said. "Can I get a hug? If you're not too pissed at me."

Clementine nodded and hugged the man.

Kenny returned the hug. "You know I care about you, right?" He pulled the child into his lap. "I would never want to hurt your feelings. You and AJ mean more to me than anything in this world."

"You mean it?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah Clem. I mean it." Kenny said. "You two are my second chance."

The girl felt a bit of her sadness fade away. "Okay...So… You don't think I'm a bad person?"

"What? Of course not. Why would you ask that?" Kenny asked.

"I just... I don't know why all this bad stuff is happening to me..." Clementine said.

"You're a wonderful little girl. That pedophile asshole is the bad person." Kenny said back.

"Can I ask you something…?"

"Sure." Kenny said.

Clementine hesitated for a moment. "...What if…What if I don't have the baby?

Kenny wasn't expecting that question, but he gave her an answer regardless. "You don't need a baby, sweetie…"

"Okay… But what if I do have it… What if... I want to keep it...?" Clementine asked.

"Do you?" Kenny asked back.

"I don't know..." Clementine muttered.

Kenny frowned. "It's a lot of work, Clem. Taking care of a baby..."

"I know..." Clementine said.

"You need to think about this. A child is a lot of responsibility." Kenny said.

"It not an easy decision... It is a life afterall." Clementine replied.

"That's true..."

"What do you think I should do?" Clementine asked.

"I can't tell you that, Clem." Kenny said. "You have to make that decision…"

Clementine lowered her head, she just wished it wasn't such a hard choice…

* * *

"How would you feel about joining my group?" Mike asked.

Tessa raised a brow, giving a half smile. "I thought half of them were loony tunes."

"You'll get used to it..." Mike shrugged.

"I got a different idea. How about you and I take off together?" Tessa said.

"And go where?" Mike asked.

Tessa smirk, "I don't know. What do you say... We take the truck and head to Texas."

"Texas?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. Why not? Isn't that where you wanted to go?" Tessa asked back.

"It was just a suggestion." Mike said with a smirk. "Anyway, what about the others."

"Arvo and Natasha can come with us. And obviously, my brother's going to come." Tessa said.

"So… What about Brett?"

"I don't care where he goes." Tessa said. "We can drop him and your friends off wherever they need to go."

"I don't know…" Mike said, looking unsure.

"Will this change your mind?" Tessa pulled her shirt off and undid her bra, revealing her breast.

Mike smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips. "It just might."

It didn't take long for them to start an intense make out session. They continued to kiss as Tessa guided Mike towards the bed, unbuttoning his pants.

She slipped her hand into his boxers and started to play with his member.

Mike groaned.

The two suddenly froze when they heard a sudden knock on the door. "The trucks working!" Isaac said.

Mike and Tessa shared a smile.

"Let's celebrate." Tessa said.

* * *

Isaac returned outside to find Brett sitting on the porch. He was holding a gun in his hand.

"You okay?" Isaac asked.

Brett was quiet for a while.

Isaac raised a brow, "Brett?"

"Where's your sister?" Brett suddenly asked.

"She's inside..." Isaac said.

Brett hummed, giving a nod. "She's with that guy. Isn't she?"

Isaac's gulped. "I-" Before he could say another word, Brett cocked his gun...

"Brett? W-What are you-"

Brett cut him off. "No one takes my girl..."

Isaac's eyes widened as Brett started towards the house.

* * *

Wyatt drove until the car ran out of gas and died out. From there they continued the next few hours on foot.

The trip was exhausting, and even more so considering they were going somewhere none of them wanted to go. However, they eventually made it.

The three of them made their way toward the hardware store.

The horde had moved on, as they expected. However, many unmoving corpses scattered the ground outside.

The three walked around the bodies and continued towards Howe's. The place looked completely deserted. They figured it would be easy to make a quick entrance, get what they came for, and exit.

"It's so quiet... It's sad..." Bonnie said.

Luke kept silent. The silence wasn't sad. It was the horrible things that happened that made it sad.

They entered into the store, surprised that there were no walkers around. It was as if someone had cleaned them all out.

They decided to split up to gather supplies, agreeing to meet at the front of the store.

Bonnie headed to the armory.

Wyatt went to search for the keys to one of the trucks.

While Luke went to the kitchen to gather food and baby formula. Luke made sure to load a couple of boxes up with as much food and formula as he could. After a while, he emerged from the kitchen, carrying one of the boxes.

It took everything Luke had not to throw up, as he thought about how Clementine got caught. How he sent the little girl to get that walkie talkie. How it was HIS fault…

He nearly ran into Wyatt as he exited the kitchen.

"Need some help?" Wyatt offered.

"Yeah. I could use a hand." Luke said. "Did you find the keys?"

"Yeah… We can load up a truck." Wyatt said. "This is going smoother than I thought, we can be back to the town by the nighttime…"

Wyatt went into the kitchen and grabbed the other box.

The two men started to make their way to the back of the store, but were surprised when they saw a young African American boy.

They had thought the place was void of people.

"Hey... Are you okay, kid?" Luke asked.

The boy jumped before looking to them nervously.

"Hey. We're not going to hurt you." Luke reassured the child.

"Do you need any help?" Wyatt asked.

The boy took a few steps back. "DAD!" The child ran off.

"Wait!" Luke called.

The boy didn't wait.

Luke and Wyatt exchanged looks. The two continued to the back to get to the truck. Once they got outside they began loading the truck up.

* * *

Clementine didn't think she would ever get used to those check-ups. Her heart pounded so hard she felt like it would explode. She winced when she felt that stinging pain between her legs.

She could hear AJ's soft coos as Sarita held the baby. Hearing the baby, helped her to remain calm. Despite a couple whimpers, the child didn't react too badly this time around.

"Alright... We're done here." Carlos said.

"How's she looking?" Christa asked.

"She's healing up pretty good." Carlos replied.

"How… How big is the baby?" Clementine asked, motioning to her stomach.

"About the size of a little bird seed." Carlos told the girl.

"That's really small." Clementine said, fixing her clothes back in place.

"Yeah, it is…" Carlos said. "You're a little over three weeks, right now. Getting close to a month…"

It was still a horrifying thing, but they didn't want to make Clementine feel bad, or nervous.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Clementine questioned.

"We won't know until it's born." Christa answered this time.

"Oh… Okay." Clementine said. "Can I hold AJ?"

"Of course." Sarita handed the child the baby.

"He's so cute…" Clementine commented.

"He is, isn't he?" Sarita smiled.

They looked up as a knock came on the office door, followed by Kenny's voice. "You guys done in there?"

"Yeah." Carlos called.

Kenny entered the room, with a bottle. "I made a bottle for the kid, I know he was fussy a while ago."

"He's happy now. Clementine's holding him." Sarita said.

"Can I feed him, please?" Clementine asked.

"Sure you can, darling." Kenny offered the child the bottle.

Clementine beamed, taking the bottle she began feeding the infant.

Carlos started to pack up his medical supplies.

Suddenly Clementine quirked a brow, "Babies come from sex...right?"

"Right..." Kenny said.

The child looked to AJ for a moment before looking up. "So… if three people played the sex with me... Who is the baby's daddy?"

Christa's eyes widened at the child's question. "W-What?"

"Who is my baby's father?" Clementine asked again.

Kenny's eyes widened and he stammered a bit, "W-Wait… Clem… What are you talking about? Three people?"

"Yeah..." Clementine nodded.

"Okay… Hold on. We know Carver did stuff to you and uh… Troy…. Who's the third person?" Kenny asked.

Clementine fell quiet for a moment.

"Clem?" Carlos called, looking worried.

"I don't want to hold AJ anymore…" Clementine said.

Sarita frowned and took the infant from the girl.

"Clementine tell us please… Who was the third person?" Kenny asked.

"If I tell you… Will I be in trouble?" Clementine asked nervously.

"Of course not." Christa said. "Clem, tell us who hurt you…"

Clementine lowered her head in response. She stayed silent, slipping her thumb in her mouth.

"Tell us who's touching you. Because whoever's doing it needs to start kicking dirt." Kenny said.

"No one is touching me now…" Clementine mumbled.

"But they were doing it before?" Christa asked.

Clementine shrugged. "Yes… And no…"

"What does that mean?" Kenny asked.

"It wasn't their fault…" Clementine said. "And it didn't hurt too much…"

The adults exchanged looks.

"Was it someone in this group?" Christa asked.

Clementine once again remained silent.

"Was it?" Carlos asked.

Finally, the child gave a slow nod.

"Who?" Kenny asked.

Clementine looked up, keeping her thumb in her mouth. "It was Luke."

* * *

Luke and Wyatt were both on their guard, now know that people were at Howe's. That boy had called for his dad afterall, and there was a chance that he and his father weren't the only ones there.

"How are we doing?" Came Bonnie's voice as the woman approached the truck.

Luke jumped, taking in deep breath to calm down. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. Being in that hardware store made him feel disgusting. He did his best to block out all his memories, but they kept coming back.

He could hear Carver's voice, taunting him. That fucking voice, made him cringe, even though it was just his mind messing with him. Luke never felt such a strong hatred against anyone as he did against Carver.

Almost an hour. A full torturous hour had passed since they got there, and they were just now finishing up with gathering their supplies.

"We're good…" Wyatt said. He hadn't missed how tense Luke had been from the time they left the town, up until now. "You alright man?"

"Fine." Luke simply said. "Let's just get this done."

They finished loading up the truck with supplies in silence.

"Alright, I think we got everything we need." Bonnie said.

"Good…" Luke said. "Now let's get the hell out of here-"

"Don't move." Came a familiar voice. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you people again…"

Bonnie's eyes grew wide, "Tavia?"


	13. Chapter 13

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the grammar check._**

* * *

Tavia stood with a half smirk on her face. Hank and another two guards stood with the woman.

"Isn't this a surprise…" Tavia said. "What brings you people back?"

"We needed supplies… Figured this place was abandoned." Wyatt said.

"Well, you figured wrong. You didn't kill all of us." Tavia said bitterly.

Luke spoke, keeping his demeanor calm. "Look, we don't want any trouble… We just-"

"Everything alright, Tavia?" A redheaded man rushed over.

"I'm handling it, Randy." Tavia said.

"These folks scared the shit out of Gil." Randy huffed out.

"We're sorry… We didn't mean to startled your boy." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, well you did." Randy said. "What the hell do you people want?"

"Nothing… They need to leave." Tavia said.

"We didn't plan on staying anyway." Luke said.

"Good. So, get going. And the supplies stay here." Tavia replied.

"What?" Wyatt said. "Tavia, we need this stuff. Our group needs this."

"So, does ours. I'm not going to let this community die. I'm not going to abandon it like you people did. You left a whole community of people to die, and for what- a little girl?" Tavia scoffed.

"Tavia, wait…Considering what happen to the poor girl… maybe we should cut her some slack." Hank said. "That kid didn't deserve any of what happened to her."

"What happened is in the past." Tavia said.

Luke felt anger swell inside him upon hearing that. "We had no choice, but to leave. Bill was crazy." Luke said.

"Are any of you better? Do you know how many people lost their lives because of you?" Tavia demanded.

"Listen, Tavia… We didn't want all that to happen." Luke said, the irritation clear in his voice. "We couldn't stay here until he killed someone else or used another kid for his sexually needs."

"W-Wait…. What?" Randy said, looking horrified.

"What happened to that little girl was no excuse for you to destroy an entire community! Bill had the best interest for his people, just because he made a few mistakes didn't give you the right to kill him!" Tavia snapped.

Luke, Bonnie, and Wyatt looked at the woman in disbelief.

Hank looked as if he was going to be sick, "Tavia, you… you can't be serious."

"I am." Tavia said.

"Tavia… He… He raped the kid!" Wyatt said.

"So what?" Was Tavia's cold response.

"What do you mean so what? You're just as sick as he is." Luke said, looking disgusted.

"Luke, please..." Bonnie said, not wanting to make Tavia upset.

"What the hell is going on here? How did these people get here and who is Bill?" Randy asked, looking concerned. He didn't want anyone dangerous to be in the same place he had his family.

"He's a pedophile… That's who he is." Luke said.

"Luke!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"What?!" Luke asked.

"Just stop…" Bonnie said before turning to Tavia. "Tavia... Everything Bill made us do, was for that baby... That's the reason he chased after the group. Are you really going to let the baby die? That would make everything you've done be in vain."

Tavia was silent for a moment before she said, "You're right... So, I'm going to give you this formula... Then you're going to leave, and never come back. And I'll continue to hope you and the other ungrateful assholes get what you deserve."

Luke sent her a surprised look. "What we deserve? You-"

Bonnie cut him off. "Luke, knock it out."

"She's defending the pedophile." Luke argued.

"There's a pedophile around?" Randy asked.

Wyatt shook his head. "He's dead…"

"I'm not defending his actions of touching that girl… I'm just saying you all destroyed this place. So many people lost their lives because of you. And now, me and those who remain are building this place back up. We don't need you people coming in to fuck it up again!" Tavia said.

"We don't plan on fucking anything up… But we need more than just baby formula." Wyatt said.

"That's not my problem… Go find it somewhere else." Tavia said.

"Tavia, please… We have kids… Our group needs this stuff." Bonnie said.

"You have children?" Randy asked.

"Yeah. Four kids…" Wyatt said.

"Soon to be five…" Luke's heart swelled at the mere thought. "The little girl, she's pregnant."

"W-What?" Hank choked out.

Everyone was taken aback by the horrifying news.

"Clementine is pregnant… With Bill's baby…" Bonnie said.

Tavia's eyes widened. "Holy shit…"

Randy looked absolutely horrified. "The child is pregnant?"

"Yeah…" Luke said, sounding almost guilty.

"Fuck… How the hell…?" Hank muttered.

"How old is she?" Randy asked.

"She's… She's eleven." Luke said with a frown.

"What the fuck is wrong with this world?" Randy shook his head.

"Is everything okay?" Came the concerned voice of a woman.

"Everything's fine, Patricia." Randy said. "Go make sure Gil is okay."

"He's fine… He was just startled." Patricia said. "What's going on? Who are these people."

"We just need some supplies…" Wyatt said.

"I'm sure we can spar some. We have plenty." Patricia said.

"Hon… Go stay with Gil." Randy said. "Make sure he's alright."

Patricia reluctantly agreed, walking away.

"So, why were you stocking stuff in the truck?" Randy demanded.

"Our car's out of gas." Wyatt said. "It'll be quicker to get back to our group if we have a vehicle."

Randy crossed his arms, "That's not our problem…"

Tavia however hummed in response, "Well…"

Everyone turned their attention to Tavia as the woman started to speak.

"I'll be willing to make a deal." Tavia said.

"What kind of deal?" Bonnie questioned.

"If you want the truck, I'll let you have it, but on one condition." Tavia said.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked.

"If you want the truck you have to leave half the supplies." Tavia finished telling her "conditions".

"What part of we NEED this stuff don't you understand?" Luke inquired.

"Our group needs this stuff too." Randy said. "We're building something real here."

"Randy's right. The world doesn't revolve around your group. We have people here too. People you guys screw over." Tavia said.

"What happened wasn't our fault. Bill had this coming." Wyatt said.

"Regardless, people died because of your group turning the PA system on." Tavia said.

"That's true…" Hank said.

"People died on both ends. We lost people too." Luke said.

"And whose fault is that?" Tavia retorted.

"You people kept us locked in a cage like animals. You continuously brought a little girl to her rapist… We had no choice but to escape. It wasn't like we'd just walk out without getting shot. The least you can do is give us this supplies." Luke said.

Bonnie shifted awkwardly at his words, feeling guilty.

"The least we can do? You got a lot of nerve showing up here." Tavia said.

Luke didn't respond.

After a moment of silence Tavia folded her arms across her chest. "I'm growing impatient with this indecisiveness. Are you going to take the deal? I'm not going to stand here and play games. Frankly, we don't have time for this."

"The only one playing games is you." Luke replied.

Wyatt groaned. "Maybe we can just look somewhere else." He suggested.

"Hell no." Luke shook his head. "We came all this way. I'm not leaving the supplies we need because of a couple of stingy assholes."

"Now you're really testing…" Tavia grumbled. "If that's how you feel you can leave all the supplies."

"Luke, stop." Bonnie said, sounding slightly irritated.

Luke crossed his arms, but stayed silent.

Tavia shot him a glare, and Luke held her harsh stare with one of his own.

"My offer is final." Tavia said.

Bonnie let out a sigh. "Please, Tavia… I know what happened may have left some bad blood between us..."

"That's for sure." Tavia said.

"But I can assure you that once we leave we won't come back." Bonnie said. "We left a lot of supplies, but we're in desperate need of this stuff. Baby formula isn't going to keep our group going. And if we starve little Alvin with starve too. He can't look after himself."

"That's true…" Tavia mumbled. She pondered Bonnie's words before she spoke again. "Okay…Fine. I'm not doing this for you guys, but if that baby dies then I just wasted my time helping Bill search for this group. It would mean that all the people who died, loss their lives in vain."

Bonnie sighed in relief. "We really appreciate it."

"You should." Tavia said. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

Bonnie, Luke, and Wyatt wasted no time in gathering the supplies and heading towards the truck. Once inside, they pulled off and left without looking back.

* * *

With intense rage, Brett stormed into the house.

Everyone looked to him, startled by the sudden slam of the door.

"Everything alright, Brett?" Vince asked, while Russell sent him a worried look.

Brett gave no response as he stormed pass the two.

Vince caught sight of the weapon in the man's hand and jumped to his feet. "Whoa, Brett, slow down. What's the gun for?"

Getting no response once again, Vince caught hold of Brett's arm, and tried to stop him.

The other man yanked away, "Get the fuck off me."

"What the hell is going on? Why do you have the gun?" Russell called.

Brett glared at Russell, then Vince. "Don't play dumb. You know what your buddy is doing with my girl."

"W-What?" Russell stammered.

Brett shoved Vince back.

Vince stumbled slightly before regaining his footing and moving to get in front of Brett. "Wait, man. Relax. We can work something out."

"I'll work it out alright. With a bullet." Brett said.

Vince shook his head. "We can talk this out. You don't have to shoot anyone."

"Get out of my way..." Brett grumbled.

"I'm not going to let you shoot anyone. Just calm down." Vince said.

"Not happening. Now get out of my way before I shoot you too." Brett said.

"You want to shoot me, do it." Vince said.

Brett sent him a glare. "Move, and be glad this bullet's not for you..."

"I'm not going to let you shoot anyone!" Vince said. "Just stop."

"Brett, dude… Relax. Things don't have to go down like this." Russell said, trying to calm the situation.

"Fuck you! I should kill you all!" Brett snapped.

"For what?" Vince questioned.

"That's y'all buddy up there with MY girl. You assholes knew about this shit…" Brett said.

"Brett, please. Please calm down…" Isaac said.

Brett tried to once again get pass Vince, but Vince remained in his pathway.

Brett gave no hesitation before throwing a blow and hitting Vince in the face.

"What the fuck, man?" Russell said.

Arvo and Natasha looked on in concern.

The blow across the side of his head and briefly dazed him, but Vince recovered fast and paid Brett back the punch he had thrown.

"Guys, stop!" Isaac exclaimed.

Brett was pissed, and after recovering from the punch he managed to land yet another hit on Vince.

Russell and Isaac rushed over to break up the escalating fight.

They had no time to do anything before Brett had seized Vince by the collar and shoved him face first, slamming his head into the wall.

Vince felt blood drip from his brow. He sat up cringing at the horrid pain.

"What the fuck, man?" Russell asked, eyes wide as he checked on his injured friend.

Brett's response was to fire a single shot above their heads, hoping to freeze the others in place. It did long enough for him to storm his way up the stairs.

* * *

There was a mixture of shocked and horrified reactions

"Luke?" Kenny asked. "As in that shit-head, Luke?"

Clementine frowned as Kenny insulted her friend. "Luke..." She confirmed.

"What the fuck?" Kenny said.

"Luke touched you?" Carlos questioned.

Clementine bit her lip and shook her head.

"What do you mean "no"? You just said he did." Kenny crossed his arms.

"Are you telling the truth?" Carlos asked. "I recall you said something similar back at Howe's."

Clementine was quiet for a moment.

"Answer him, Clem. Did Luke touch on you?" Kenny asked.

"No..." Clementine said.

"Then why the hell would you say that?" Kenny questioned.

"He didn't touch me! We just fucked okay?!" Clementine exclaimed. "You think I'm lying, but I'm not!"

"Clementine, no one thinks you're a liar..." Sarita said.

"Yes they do..." Clementine ushered to the two men in the room. "Clearly, they think I'm a liar."

"You're just not making any sense. First he did it, then he didn't do it. What's the truth, Clem?" Kenny asked the child.

"He did NOT touch me! I told you, we played sex. That's it. It wasn't his fault..." Clementine said.

"Bullshit! If he had sex with you it is his fault!" Kenny snapped.

"It was my fault! It's MY fault!" Clementine broke into tears. Her sobs filled with hurt and pain as memories flooded to her. She didn't want Luke to get in trouble for something he never wanted. It had been her fault afterall.

"Why are you crying?" Christa implored the child.

Clementine couldn't bring herself to answer.

Christa felt her heart break for the girl. She pulled the sobbing child into a hug, shushing her. She felt like her hands were tied. She didn't know how to console the little girl any further.

* * *

Tavia gave an annoyed huff as the truck pulled off. "Well, That was a waste of time. Everyone get back to work."

The guards quickly scattered, going back to cleaning corpses off of the lot.

"I can't believe she's pregnant..." Hank said, feeling his stomach flip at the thought.

"They probably lied about that shit..." Tavia said.

"Why would they?" Hank asked.

Tavia shrugged. "Who knows... For pity, sympathy... I don't really care, but I don't believe that bullshit. No way a little girl is pregnant.

"There was a pedophile here?" Randy asked. "An actual pedophile...?"

"Yeah. Poor kid was molested and raped by the former leader of this place." Hank frowned. "He's dead now."

"Unfortunately." Tavia added.

"I think that's a good thing." Hank said.

"I guess we have differing opinions." Tavia responded.

Randy and Hank exchanged looks. Both were disturbed by her lack of reaction.

"Pedophiles are horrible. I wouldn't want anyone touching my boy." Randy said. "And this kid... She's a kid, kid? Like a little kid?"

"She can't be any older than twelve. I wouldn't want this for anyone." Hank said.

"Of course not. But wishing Clementine wasn't abused won't change the fact that she was." Tavia said. "Anyway, Randy, why don't you go take inventory? See how much supplies they actually took."

Randy gave a nod and walked off to do as she said.

"Anything I should do?" Hank asked.

"We still gotta get the dead. A lot of them to clean up." Tavia said.

"True..." Hank nodded before asking, "Do you really think things will work out here?"

"We'll make it work out." Tavia said.

The two continued walking until the made it to a room.

Tavia turned her attention to the woman who was sitting alone, clearly lost in thought.

"They're gone." Tavia called.

"Good. Thank you." Jane said, sounding relieved.

"That bad, huh?" Hank asked, scratching the back of his head.

Jane rubbed a hand over her face. "I just... I can't face them right now."

"Why'd you leave anyway?" Hank asked.

"Things just weren't working out." Jane shrugged.

"Sometimes that's just how it goes..." Tavia said.

"So... The little girl...Is she alright...?" Hank questioned.

"I guess. Last I saw her anyway." Jane said. The mention of Clementine grabbed Jane in the heart. "Hopefully she's fine."

"Is it true...? Is she..." Hank trailed off.

"Pregnant?" Jane finished.

Hank wait for her to answer.

Jane sighed, nodding her head. "Yeah... She is." She confirmed, causing the others to go pale.

* * *

The car's occupants were silent.

Luke let out a sigh, looking out the window.

"You alright, man?" Wyatt asked.

Luke didn't respond.

"Luke?" Wyatt called again.

Luke jumped, having been lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the other man address him. "What's up?"

"You good, man?" Wyatt asked.

Luke's response was dry and honestly, "No... No I'm not."

"What's wrong? You can talk to us." Bonnie urged.

Luke shook his head. "I can't..."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked, frowning a bit.

"I just can't, okay." Luke said.

"You've seemed so anxious since we left the town." Wyatt pointed out.

"Aren't we all?" Luke said.

"What's eating you, man?" Wyatt questioned.

Luke opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He rubbed a hand over his face. He felt sick to his stomach. He kept thinking about the hell poor little Clementine was going through with this pregnancy. "It's nothing..."

"Now I know that's not true." Bonnie said. "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking about Clem." Luke answered after some hesitation.

"What about her?" Wyatt asked.

Luke was quiet for a moment.

"It's the pregnancy... Isn't it?" Bonnie inquired, face serious.

"Yeah..." Luke nodded glumly. "It's just so fucked up... I just... I can't help but feel it's my fault."

"It's not." Wyatt said. "It's Carver's fault."

"More than just Carver is to blame. There's more than one person at fault. I know I could've done something... I... I should've done something." Luke said.

"You did all you could..." Bonnie said.

Luke shook his head. "I didn't. I could've done more... More to help Clem... To help Nick, Pete, Alvin, and Rebecca..." Luke said.

"You can't blame yourself." Bonnie said. "I know how it feels... Trust me."

"I can't forget it either." Luke said. "It make no sense. None of this makes sense."

"Luke, stop. You can't just put all that on yourself." Bonnie said.

"It is on me. I could've done more. And that ain't up for debate. I know it in my bones... And I gotta to live with it." Luke said.

"All we can do is move forward and do our best to make sure the group is alright. To make sure Clem is alright." Bonnie said.

"Clem is far from alright." Luke replied.

Bonnie said nothing, knowing his words were true.

* * *

Brett angrily charged up the stairs to the bedroom.

Giving the door a kick open, he stomped into the room. Tessa gave a surprised yelp as she and Mike quickly broke apart.

Mike and Tessa both jumped from the bed and started to gather their clothes.

They had no time to actually dress themselves before Brett was aiming the gun a them.

"How dare you? You fucking whore!" Brett snapped. "I should wring your neck.

"The hell you will!" Mike said while yanking his pants on.

"Don't you move another inch!" Brett said.

With a gulp Mike raised his hands high.

Tessa did the same while trembling in fear. "B-Brett... Calm down... It's not what it looks like."

"Lying bitch." Brett scoffed.

"We can work this out... Just put the gun down, man." Mike said.

"No." Brett said.

"Brett...please, think about what you're doing." Tessa said, her heart pounding in fear.

"I have. I've thought long and hard." Brett said. "You think I'm stupid? That I didn't know what was going on?"

"Brett... We're through... I want to be with Mike." Tessa said.

Brett was seething once he heard that. "After all we've been through? You ungrateful skank!"

They heard rushed footsteps coming up the stairs.

Brett kept the gun aimed on them as Isaac rushed into the room.

"Stay away from my sister." The teen jumped at him and attempted to wrestle the gun from Brett's hands. Brett struggled to keep a hold on it.

Mike moved quickly, grabbing a hold of the gun as well. They fought for the weapon, until it suddenly went off.

* * *

They headed downstairs without speaking on the incident that just happened.

Sarita told the girl to go play, Clementine hesitantly made her way over to Sarah and Becca. She didn't feel like playing.

After just sitting there in silence, with some occasional worried glances from her friends, she felt Becca's hand on her forehead. "You don't feel warm..." She peered down at her face.

"What are you doing?" Clementine asked.

"Are you sick? You've been so quiet..." Becca said.

"Isn't she usually quiet?" Sarah asked.

"More quiet than usual." Becca replied.

"I'm fine." Clementine batted the older girl's hand away.

Becca sent her a look. "Are not. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. Really." Clementine said.

Becca crossed her arms. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?" Clementine asked. "I'm really okay."

Becca shook her head. "I know you better than that."

Clementine shook her head, sniffling a bit. "I don't want to talk..."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"Because I don't." Clementine said.

Becca and Sarah frowned.

"Did someone hurt your feelings?" Sarah asked the girl.

"No! I said I don't want to talk! Leave me alone, okay?!" Clementine snapped.

"No need to get snappy. You're always like that." Becca huffed.

Clementine said nothing, she felt a few tears threatening to fall. She didn't know why.

"Becca! You made her cry!" Sarah said, looking upset herself.

"Who cares?" Becca huffed.

Sarah gave a saddened look, "Don't cry, Clem."

Clementine forced herself to her feet and started to walk away.

Sarah sent Becca a look, she was upset that Becca had hurt the Clementine's feelings.

* * *

Christa was surprised when she had heard about what happened between Clementine and Luke. She didn't understand what Clementine had meant when she claimed it wasn't his fault.

That explained why things were so awkward between the two... Yet Clementine showed no fear towards him. In fact, she was pretty close to him considering what happened.

If there was anyone Clementine had bitter feelings for, it was Bonnie. Clementine displayed a huge animosity towards Bonnie. Christa couldn't help but wonder why.

The woman quickly realized she knew so little about this group she was with.

She decided to ask about the two people she was currently most concerned about, Luke and Bonnie. And the best person to ask, or at least the most reasonable person seemed to be Sarita.

She approached the woman who was holding little AJ.

Sarita looked up as she heard her footsteps and offered her a small smile. "Hello."

Christa took a seat beside Sarita and greeted her back, "Hey..."

"How are you?" Sarita asked.

"I'm okay..." Christa said. "I wanted to ask you some questions..."

"Okay... What kind of questions?" Sarita asked.

"I don't know much about this group... I wanted to know more, about Luke and Bonnie in particular." Christa said.

Sarita nodded her understanding. "I see... Luke... He seems nice enough. I don't think he would ever willingly hurt Clementine..."

"You never know what people are capable of." Christa said.

"I'd like to think that there is still some good in the world. That he wouldn't do something like that..." Sarita said. "I would hope not anyway."

Christa's eyes fell on the baby as he let out a tiny whimper. "I think that may be the only kind of good left." She said, motioning to the child. "Kids... They have that innocence about them... Until it's stolen away..."

Sarita frowned, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah..."

The two were silent for a bit.

Christa looked at the infant's sleeping face. Her heart clenched as she thought about the child she had lost...

 _Genevieve..._

"Would you like to hold him?" Sarita asked, noticing her gaze.

Christa's eyes widened. "I... N-No... I can't."

"Nonsense. Of course you can." Sarita said.

Before Christa could protest any further, Sarita was placing the sleeping child in her arms.

Christa froze for a moment, looking to AJ. Her heart seemed to pound as she listens to the child's quiet breathing.

Christa swallowed, fighting back the emotion and tears that wanted to fall.

"Are you okay?" Sarita asked.

"Y-Yeah... He's cute." Christa said.

"Yeah... He is." Sarita agreed with a smile.

"Where are his parents?" Christa asked.

"They...didn't make it. We lost his mom a few days before you showed up..." Sarita said sadly.

"Sorry to hear that..." Christa said.

"She was a part of Luke's group. His parents were both kind people." Sarita said. "Kenny and I have been looking after him since Rebecca passed..."

"That's good. I'm sure you guys will raise him well." Christa said.

"We'll do our best..." Sarita said.

Christa gave a nod before letting out a sigh. "I know life isn't fair, but these kids deserve better. They deserve so much better."

"They do..." Sarita agreed.

"And poor Clem... Damn it... I just keep wondering how Lee would feel. What he would do... He'd probably have had a attack if he heard his little girl was pregnant..."

"It's awful..." Sarita said. "She's just a baby herself."

"Yeah... She doesn't deserve any of this stuff." Christa said.

"No one does... And you asked about Bonnie... To be honest I don't know much about her, or many people here actually... She comes across as nice. Sometimes too nice, especially towards Clementine. I know Clementine has hard feelings when it comes to her... And sometimes it seems that Bonnie is trying to make something up to the child... It's strange..." Sarita explained.

Christa pondered on those word for a moment, "Yeah it is..." Christa handed Sarita the baby back. "I'm going to go talk to Clem... Make sure she's alright."

"That's a good idea." Sarita said.

Christa nodded, looking around the church but not seeing the young girl.

Christa stood, fighting back a groan. She was sure the child had wandered off somewhere. It slightly annoyed her how none of the adults seemed to pay attention to the little girl when it came to where she was.

Christa decided she needed to go find the child before the girl somehow got hurt.

* * *

Clementine felt so upset, she could hardly see straight. Walking usually helped to clear her head and her racing heart, but not today.

The more she walked the sadder she felt.

Her life felt like it was in shambles. Her heart felt broken in a million pieces.

She wanted to just break down and cry.

She wished Lee was there to tell her everything would be alright. Like he did each time she felt scared.

Because even when she knew it wasn't true, somehow his words always made her feel better. Or perhaps it was just his mere presence.

She missed him... She felt so alone since he died.

Lee had promised he wouldn't leave her, but that promise was broken.

Her parents had promised to come home... That promise was broken too. So many promises were unkept...

 _ **Broken**_ like she was...

Clementine shivered as she felt cold air blow against her skin. When a sudden wave of nausea hit her, she decided it would be smart to take shelter somewhere. Her little feet were screaming at her to stop walking anyway.

Finding a nearby house she carefully headed inside.

The house didn't have much to offer. There was a couch, a broken TV set in front of it. She felt a bit homesick just looking at it.

She checked out the rest of the house, stopping in a bedroom. There was glass from a shatter window on the floor, a broken book shelf against wall and the bed sheets on the large bed was stained with dirt and possibly blood.

She noticed a bassinet by the bed. The girl swallowed, wondering what happened to the baby that once slept in there...

Her eyes drifted from the bassinet to a lone chair in the corner of the room. The object in the chair drew her closer.

It was a teddy bear.

She picked up the teddy bear and held it close.

Clementine didn't know what it was, but she liked the toy. Maybe it was the dejected look on its face.

The teddy bear was old, had patches from having been sowed a time or two. It was missing an eye and filthy, yet for some reason Clementine was drawn to it.

Maybe the teddy bear looked new in Clementine's eyes.

The bear had a bright yellow scarf thrown around it's neck. Clementine couldn't help but wonder why such a bright color was on such a sad looking bear.

She laid on the bed clutching the teddy bear. She felt some of her stress ease away as she held the toy.

Usually she only knew one way to ease her stress and make herself feel relaxed.

She hadn't felt relaxed in so long. The only time she could force her body into relaxation was after she had an orgasm.

With that thought she slowly trailed her hand down her overalls to her crotch. She started rubbing. She felt little sounds leave her lips as the more she rubbed the better she felt. The girl grew louder and louder as she played with herself. She wanted to get herself to the edge…

"Clementine!" The yell of her name made her flinch.

The child jumped upright, startled when she noticed Christa in the doorway.

Clementine trembled a bit, clutching the dirty toy close to her. "I… I'm sorry... I didn't mean to-"

"Are you okay? You're not hurt or anything?" Christa asked.

Clementine shook her head vaguely- her focus on the stuffed bear in her arms.

"Come here, sweetie." Christa walked over and took the child's arm and steered her away from the dirty bed.

The two walked into the living room and Christa seat her on the couch.

"Clementine...you can't wander off like that..." Christa said to the child.

"I'm sorry..." Clementine mumbled again.

Christa's brows knitted together at the girl's reaction. She didn't want the child feeling guilty for something she didn't understand. "Let's talk about what you were doing in the bedroom..."

"I didn't mean to... I thought it was okay." Clementine lowered her head, looking guilty.

"It is... There's nothing wrong with what you were doing..." Christa told the child.

Clementine raised a brow and looked up. "Really? So why do people get so angry when I do it?"

"It's not a bad thing. It's just something that's supposed to be done in private." Christa said.

"But... Why?" Clementine asked.

"Because people shouldn't see you like that." Christa said.

"Carver did..." Clementine said.

"I know. But that doesn't make it right. He was a bad person." Christa replied.

"Am I?" Clementine asked.

"Are you what?" Christa questioned back.

"Bad..." Clementine said. "Am I a bad person?"

"No, Clem. Of course not." Christa said. "But I want to explain to you a few things."

Clementine furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"

"Well I'm sure you're confused on a few things... Like what happened to you..." Christa said.

"The fucking- I mean sex?" Clementine asked.

Christa nodded. "Yeah... Let's start with what you were just doing..."

"It's not bad?" Clementine asked.

"No. It's not bad. It's okay for you to touch yourself. A lot of people do it. It's normal. Some people may think it's wrong, but it's not. It's called masturbation and it's okay to do as long as you're alone." Christa explained.

"Mastur- what?" Clementine asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"Masturbation. It's a very normal thing." Christa said.

"...So touching is mas-mastur-masturbation?"

"That's right. When you touch your private area." Christa said.

"And it's okay...?" Clementine asked.

"Yes, sweetie. As long as you do it in private, and you're not hurting yourself." Christa said.

"Okay..."

"It's not okay to touch other people though... And no one should touch you without permission either... Especially not an adult." Christa said.

"Why? Even if it feels nice?" Clementine asked.

"You never, ever touch anyone without permission." Christa said.

"Okay, Christa. But... What about sex?" Clementine asked.

"Sex is a private thing too... It's something grownups do when they love each other." Christa said.

"Did Carver love me?" Clementine inquired. "He said he did. That's why he did those things to me."

Christa shook her head. "What he did to you was wrong. Grownups shouldn't do that stuff to children. Grownups who touch children are sick."

"He didn't look sick."

"He was sick in head, sweetie. He's a bad man. Him and anyone else who touched you." Christa said.

"Oh..." Clementine said. "So... So, I'm not a whore?"

Christa's eyes widened. "No... No you're not. The men who hurt you did bad things to you, but they're the bad ones, not you."

"Okay..." Clementine mumbled.

"Tell me what happened with Luke..." Christa said.

Clementine frowned, remaining silent.

"Clementine, please... I want to help you..."

"Carver... Carver made us... I didn't want to...Luke didn't want to... Carver MADE us..." Clementine said, a few tears falling. "Why did he do those nasty things to me? Did I do something to make him do that to me?"

Christa enfolded the weeping child in her arms. "No, sweetie. You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault."

"Then who's fault is it?" Clementine cried out.

"It's not your fault, Clem. Listen, those things that happened to you, are things that never should've happened. But sometimes things like this do happen and we have no control of them..." Christa said. "It's sad, and terrible... And you feel guilty because you couldn't stop the person who stole that innocence from you."

"I was scared... I'm still scared." Clementine said.

Christa rubbed the child's back, holding her close. "You're not to blame. It's going to be okay..."

* * *

The loud crackle of gunfire pierced the air. The vying over the weapon stopped as suddenly as it started. Mike and Brett both checked themselves for injury, finding none.

Seconds passed of silence, things seemed to be in slow motion, before Issac fell.

The teen lay on the ground mortally wounded by the shot to the chest he had endured.

Everyone's eyes widened, Brett shaking as he realized what he had done. The gun slipped from his hand in his shock.

Tessa let out a hysterical scream. She rushed over to her brother's fallen form, screaming, "Issac! Issac, speak to me!"

Issac gave no response.

Tessa trembled as she checked her brother for a pulse, finding none. She check again. And again. She tried to perform CPR, but it was no use.

Tears spilled for her eyes, as she glared at both Brett and Mike. "You killed him! You killed my brother..."

"T-Tessa... I'm so sorry." Brett stammered. "Let me try to-"

"Stay the fuck away from us!" Tessa snapped.

Brett froze in place.

"You killed him! You're a murderer!" Tessa said, crying more.

"Tessa..." Brett stammered. "I... I was... I didn't mean to..."

Tessa just continued to sob, not saying a word.

"Tessa..." Brett muttered softly.

Mike felt a strong wave of nausea rock his frame.

Brett called once more, "Tessa-"

"No!" Tessa cried, "No... You KILLED him. I stuck by you for so long and you killed my baby brother. What kind of monster are you?"

Silence and tension filled the room.

Tessa scoffed, "So you have nothing to say for yourselves?"

Mike lowered his head, guilt eating him. "I... I'm so sorry."

"I never wanted this to happen, really." Brett said. "I was-"

"Shut up. Just shut up, both of you." Tessa interrupted. "I've heard enough."

Mike fell silence. His gaze shifted to Issac's body, knowing what could happen in only a course of minutes. "Tessa, you got to get away from him. I know you're upset... but he's going to turn..."

Tessa shook her head defiantly.

Mike sent her a pleading look, "Tessa, please."

Brett gave a frown, opening his mouth to speak as well. "Babe-"

"Don't call me that." Tessa said, voice cold and unwavering. "Don't you ever call me that."

"I... We have to do something before he turns."

Tessa looked to the gun on the ground. "I... I'll do it..."

"Are you sure?" Mike asked.

Tessa didn't answer that question. "How... How many bullets are in that?"

Brett picked up the gun. "One should...be enough." He simply said, handing her the gun.

Tessa was quiet for a moment before saying, "You're right." With those words, she pressed the weapon to her own head.

Mike and Brett both looked on in horror.

"Whoa, what the fuck?" Mike said. "Tessa... Just calm down. Think about what you're doing."

"I am..." Tessa said.

"Babe, please." Brett said. "I love you..."

Tessa only shook her head, keeping the cold metal to her temple.

"Tessa, put the gun down..." Mike said. "You don't want to do this... Please..."

"Come on... Just drop it..." Brett urged.

Tessa however, pressed the weapon harder, finger nearing the trigger.

Teary eyes met Mike's own and she uttered a, "Goodbye, Mike."

"NO!" Mike yelled, trying to run at her.

Both men flinched as Tessa pulled the trigger.

* * *

Christa held the distraught child until she had calmed down.

Once the little girl seemed calm enough Christa decided to ask her something. "So... Can I ask you a question? If you're not tired of questions already."

"Sure. What is it?" Clementine asked.

"What do you think of Bonnie?" Christa asked.

Clementine was silent for a moment as her face fell. "...I don't like her..." Her little face was grave as she answered the question.

"Why not?" Christa wondered.

"It doesn't matter." Clementine said, shaking her head.

"Of course it does. There's got to be a reason you don't like her."

"There is." Clementine simply replied with a small spare nod.

Christa waited for more, an explanation, a question, anything. But nothing came her way. Clementine seemed indifferent, cold.

Not allowing the child to brush her off, Christa said, "Talk to me, Clem. What's the reason?"

Clementine tried to find the words. She paused before speaking, "She's trouble. Whenever I'm around her I somehow end up getting hurt.

"What do you mean?"

"She kept taking me to Carver while he was hurting me... She thought I was lying about what was happening to me." Clementine said. "She wants me to forgive her... But I'm not ready to..."

"Shit... I had no idea, Clem." Christa felt a sudden anger towards Bonnie. She wanted to confront the woman.

"No one knows. I just... I prefer to keep some things to myself." Clementine sighed.

"Come on... Let's head back to the church." Christa helped the girl to her feet and took her little hand.

"Can I ask a question now?" Clementine asked as they started walking.

"Sure, Clem."

"Is Kenny mad at me?" Clementine asked.

"Why would he be mad?" Christa asked the girl.

"For what happened with Luke and I..." Clementine said.

"Clem, you got to stop blaming yourself. None of what happened was your fault." Christa said.

"But is he mad?"

"Not at you. No." Christa said.

"At Luke then?" Clementine asked.

"He's a little upset, but it's because he doesn't understand. He thinks Luke hurt you. We'll talk to him..." Christa said.

"Okay..." Clementine said. "Kenny... He said it was my fault... What happened at Howe's... He took it back, said he didn't mean it... But I think part of him did."

"He didn't..." Christa said. "Sometimes people say stupid things."

"Like how I said I hated my baby?" Clementine asked.

Christa hadn't even known about that, but responded nonetheless, "Just like that..."

"I don't hate it..." Clementine said, "But I am scared."

"Of course you are. You have every right to be scared, but it's going to be okay." Christa reassured the child.

"I hope so..."

"And Kenny never should have said that to you." Christa said. "That was awful and wrong of him..."

"I know..." Clementine said.

"I know you know. But you have to remember, none of those mean things people have said to you are true." Christa said.

"Okay... Thanks." Clementine said.

The two were quiet for a while, Clementine toying with the stuffed bear.

Christa looked to the child. "You still have that?"

"I like him... He's cute." Clementine shrugged.

"He's falling apart." Christa argued.

Clementine shrugged. "He's just a little broken. Aren't we all. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

Christa didn't know how to respond. "I guess you can keep him. But he'll need a good washing."

"Can you wash him for me?" Clementine asked.

"Sure." Christa said. It was probably good for Clementine to have a stuffed animal. It would help her feel a lot better, she knew people usually gave stuffed toys to abused kids to help them cope with the after-trauma. "If you're keeping him, you should give him a name."

"...I have."

"Really? What is it?" Christa asked. Not expecting to hear the words that came next, her heart clenched when the child uttered them.

"His name is Promise. Because he's broken like me." Clementine replied.

* * *

Mike felt sick to his stomach. He began vomiting immediately.

As soon as he stopped throwing up Brett charged at him, ready to fight. Mike shoved him, just as the other man threw a punch at him.

"This is your fault! You did this shit!" Brett snapped, reading to go for the gun.

"Don't move." An unexpected voice said.

All Vince's thoughts were a blur. He could hear Russell asking him if he was okay.

Of course not. His head felt like it would explode from all the pain he was in.

When Russell heard the gunshot from upstairs he felt his heart stop. "Oh shit..."

Arvo and Natasha's eyes widened.

Russell debated on what to do. "Don't just stand there! Help! Get me some bandages!"

Natasha rushed to do so.

Arvo trembled for a moment, eyes flashing towards the stairs. Picking up a nearby gun, he slowly started up the steps.

Arvo entered the room and frowned as he noticed the two men fighting.

"Don't move." Arvo said.

Brett whipped around and then smirked. He chuckled, "Or what?" He asked, taking a step towards Arvo.

"Stop!" Arvo exclaimed.

Brett didn't. "Shoot me, boy. Shoot me." He said, in a mocking tone, while still moving closer.

Mike notice Arvo was holding the gun with shaking hands, and he was completely convinced by now that Brett was out of his damn mind.

"You're not going to do it." Brett said. "You don't have the guts-"

Arvo proved him wrong, firing a shot which hit Brett in the chest.

Brett went down, dead.

Mike stood still for a few moments, almost expecting something else to happen. After a while he walked over to Arvo, who was still shaking in place. "You alright?" Mike asked.

Arvo looked like he wanted to cry.

Mike placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and Arvo gave a slight flinch. "You saved my life." Mike said.

Arvo looked to him, "Are y-you okay?"

Mike nodded. "Thanks to you. Come on... Let's get the hell out of here."

The two headed downstairs. Vince, Russell, and Natasha looked to them.

Mike took a deep breath and announced, "It's over." He said nothing more or less.

Russell gave a look to the others. "Please... Please tell me we're leaving today."

Vince spoke next, despite the pounding in his head. "Well... The truck's running. No reason to stay here."

"Right..." Mike said. "Let's pack up and head out."

* * *

The minute they returned, a panicked Kenny immediate started to chew her out for wandering off.

It wasn't until Christa revealed that they had been talking and Clementine was fine, that Kenny finally calmed a bit.

Still, the tension in the church made Clementine feel uncomfortable. Even more so when she was sitting alone. Christa had taken the teddy bear from the child and went to wash it in the bathroom.

After several minutes of sitting on the church pew, lost in thoughts. Kenny came and took a seat next to her.

The man asked her multiple times if she was okay, if she was hurt.

"I'm fine, Kenny. Really." Clementine would response.

"Good... Good." Kenny seemed on edge, and that made her feel on edge as well.

She hated feeling anxious and that's exactly how Kenny was making her feel right now. He was clearly upset, Clementine was sure it was about what she had told them that morning. Clementine just worried how Kenny would react when he did see Luke.

She nervously began sucking on her thumb, as she watched her friend fidget beside her.

"Alright. He's much cleaner now!" Christa approached the child with the teddy bear in her arms.

Clementine gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"He's a little damp. Just give him an hour or so to dry." Christa said, before noting the child's glum expression. "You okay?"

Clementine simply nodded. She had felt awkward already, she didn't feel like talking right now.

At dinner time the child just picked with her food. Everyone was silence, it was clearly tense,

Clementine couldn't shake her anxiousness. Everyone's attention was draw to the sound of the church door opening.

* * *

The moment they entered the church, the last thing Luke expected was for Clementine to run up to him and began cling to him.

"Hey, kiddo. You miss me?" Luke asked, returning the embrace.

Clementine gave a small nod.

"Well, I'm back now... Sorry we had to go like that." Luke said.

"It's okay..." Clementine said. Her little voice trembled a bit and Luke could feel wetness on his shirt as the child buried her face into the fabric.

"Clem, what's wrong?" Luke looked at her with gentle eyes.

Clementine shook her head, keeping her face hidden.

"Clem?" Luke looked around, catching the expression on everyone's faces, his own face fell. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

The child said nothing.

Luke did receive his answer only moments later as the little girl was yanked from his arms and in the next minute he finds himself on the floor, head ringing from the encounter with Kenny's fist.

Luke had no time to realize what was going on before he felt himself being pinned to the ground and punched again.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Luke felt Kenny's hands wrap around his neck. He wondered for a brief moment why Kenny was attacking him. He then started struggling to break free.

"Kenny, stop!" Sarita exclaimed.

AJ was wailing away in the woman's arms from all the noise.

Kenny didn't stop. He was red with anger as he choked Luke.

Christa grabbed the man, trying to get him off of Luke. Wyatt grabbed him as well and still they barely got him to budge.

They finally managed to yank Kenny off and away from Luke, but the man was still seething with anger.

Luke tried to sit up, Bonnie quickly came over to help him. Blood was dripping from his nose and on to his sweater. Luke grunted in pain.

"What's wrong with you?" Kenny snapped. "How could you touch a little girl?"

"W-What?" Luke stammered, looking confused. He brought a hand to his nose, hissing in pain.

"You had sex with her? She told us!" Kenny spat out.

"Wait... What?" Luke asked.

"You're a piece of shit! You know that?" Kenny said.

"I didn't...I didn't want that to happen." Luke's voice was muffled. He had one hand against his nose, trying to stop the red stream that was dripping to his shirt.

"Stop it! Stop it, Kenny! It's not his fault." Clementine suddenly exclaimed, finally finding her voice as she watched the scene.

Kenny looked to the child. "Clem…?"

"Carver made us do it! He made me!" Clementine said.

"Bullshit. How did he make you?" Kenny demanded.

"He had him tied to a chair... He said to... to do it or he'd kill him... I didn't want to, but I didn't want Luke to die either. Please, leave him alone." Clementine explained.

"I... I would never hurt Clem like that. Never." Luke said.

Wyatt tugged Kenny's arm. "Kenny, I think we should get some air, man."

"Yeah... Alright..." Kenny reluctantly agreed.

Wyatt led him away with Christa and Sarita following.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked Luke.

"I think that asshole broke my nose…" Luke gritted out.

"Let's let Carlos take a look." Bonnie said and helped him to his feet.

Clementine frowned, clinging tightly to Promise. She felt horrible. She never should have said anything. It was her fault Luke was hurt.

The child fought back tears as she took a seat on one of the pews. She watched as he headed towards Carlos, her little heart wouldn't stop pounding.

She held Promise closer, which helped her to calm slightly down.

She laid down and it didn't take long for her to drift to sleep, exhausted from everything that had occurred that day.

* * *

"Let me have a look..." Carlos said.

Luke slowly moved his hand from his nose. The blood flow had slowed, but the pain was still huge.

Carlos checked his nose, asking how severe the pain was.

"Hurts like a motherfucker..." Luke said honestly.

"Anything else hurt?" Carlos asked.

"My head is killing me." Luke said.

Carlos felt around Luke's head, not find any more blood.

After a few moments the doctor spoke, "Your nose won't need to be set. It was clean break. We'll try to find something cool enough to bring the swelling down."

"Alright... Thanks." Luke replied.

"For the time being you should take it easy. I think you might have a mild concussion. Try to stay awake for a few hours." Carlos told him.

"I won't be able to sleep anyway, considering the pain I'm in." Luke said.

"It would be much worse if your nose had to be set." Carlos said.

"Well, I guess I should consider myself lucky." Luke scoffed.

"I'm not saying that." Carlos sighed. "Kenny was out of line in the way he attacked you, yet part of me can understand his reaction."

"Why's that? You think I wanted to do that stuff with Clem?" Luke demanded. "You know me better than that, Carlos."

"I don't know anything. There are too many secrets in this group." Carlos said.

"That's not me, Carlos. I would never do anything to harm a child. I regret not being able to stop it… to stop him…" Luke said.

"I want to believe your words are sincere, but for the sake of my daughter, I have to be cautious. That being said, I ask that you avoid being alone with her." Carlos said.

Luke's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Carlos… You… You can't be serious…"

"I'm completely serious." Carlos said.

"You really think I would do something to Sarah? I'm not a pedophile!" Luke said, looking outraged.

"I don't know what anyone is capable of." Carlos said. "For that reason, my decision is final. And we're done here…"

Luke frowned. "Carlos-"

"I said we're done here." Carlos said before turning and walking away.

Luke sighed. He had known the group would react badly to what happened, but he didn't think they would accuse him of being a child molester again. The first time alone had been awful enough.

He was still beating himself up over what happened at Howe's. He felt like he would carry that guilt on his shoulders for the rest of his life. Even if Clementine didn't blame him for it, he couldn't help but feel it was all his fault.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked, looking worried.

"I… I need to take a walk." Luke replied with another sigh.

* * *

"I swear I'm going to kill that asshole…" Kenny grumbled.

"Kenny, stop! You need to calm down." Sarita said.

Wyatt kept a grip on him, in case he went off again.

"Let go of me, dammit!" Kenny snapped.

"Not until you calm down." Wyatt replied.

"No! I don't need to calm down. What I need to do is make sure that shitbird can't touch another child!" Kenny said.

"It's a misunderstanding, Kenny!" Christa chimed in.

"Like hell it is!" Kenny snapped.

"Kenny! Listen! It wasn't his fault. Clementine said that Carver guy made them do it." Christa explained.

"Clementine doesn't understand half the things that happened to her." Kenny said.

Christa sent him a look. "She's not stupid, Kenny. Why would she say he was forced if he wasn't?"

"Because she probably wants to protect him. Just like she protected the asshole who was abusing her at Howe's." Kenny said.

"She was scared, Kenny. She's just a little kid." Sarita said.

Kenny let out a sigh. "I know she is…"

"You know she told me you blamed her for what happened…" Christa said sending him a glare. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I apologized. I didn't mean that. I feel like a piece of shit…" Kenny said. "I just… I was supposed to keep her safe… I was supposed to protect her. I promised Lee and I failed. Now I can't even look at the girl without feeling like I'm going to drown in guilt."

"You can't push her away… She needs us now." Christa said.

"I guess…" Kenny muttered he looked to Sarita. "Let me… Let me hold the baby."

Sarita nodded and handed him the infant.

Kenny held the child close, calming down a bit.

"I know how you feel. I think a lot of us feel guilty. Even I can't help but feel like I could've prevented it." Christa said. "But this tossing the blame around isn't helping if anything it's probably just making her feel bad."

"Christa's right. Playing the blame game isn't helping anyone." Wyatt said. "We need to focus on how to help her recover."

"She's pregnant and she's fucking traumatized. You guys have seen how she acts… How are we supposed to fix that shit….?" Kenny asked.

"We can help her get better one step at a time. And we can only do that if we work as a group. This fighting has to stop. At least for the kids' sake." Wyatt said.

"Right, we're a group now. We need to be pulling together, not apart." Sarita said.

"That's easier said than done." Kenny responded.

"I know…" Sarita mumbled.

Christa hummed. "I know I haven't been with you guys for too long, but from what I've seen, this group has some major trust issues."

"It's not just that. After what happened at that hardware store, no one knows who can be trusted." Kenny told her.

Christa nodded. "I can tell… A lot of the tension around here is due to that."

"That's a problem. We can't function as a group without trust." Sarita said.

"My point exactly. Even I have a hard time trusting people at times, but this group isn't going to work unless everyone tries to at least tolerate one another." Christa said.

"Well, it's not easy to trust people when all these secrets keep coming out." Kenny grumbled.

"I agree with that, after what Clementine told me earlier I can't exactly say I want that Bonnie woman alone with her, or around her in general." Christa said.

"Bonnie?" Wyatt raised a brow and asked, "What did she do?"

Christa paused, looking surprised, "Wait… You guys don't know?"

The response from the others were shakes of the head.

"Figures…" Christa muttered.

"Know what?" Wyatt asked.

"Does it have something to do with why Clementine's so angry towards Bonnie?" Sarita asked.

"Yeah…" Christa said with a frown.

"What happened? What the hell did she do?" Kenny demanded.

"Clementine said she told Bonnie about the man abusing her, and Bonnie acted like she was lying." Christa informed them.

Kenny's eye widened. "Wait… what?"

"That's not all." Christa said. "Clementine said Bonnie would constantly bring her to that child abuser, even after Clementine vocalized that she was being abused."

"Damn it… I should've paid more attention…" Kenny muttered.

"You think?" Christa scoffed. "Clementine also said that Bonnie left her alone and allowed her to be raped by that other guy."

"Bonnie… Bonnie wouldn't do that. I doubt she knew what was happening." Wyatt said.

"And what if she did?" Kenny asked.

Wyatt just shook his head. "I… I can't even imagine her allowing a child to be hurt. Why would she let that little girl get raped?"

"I don't know why she does half of what she does." Was Kenny's response.

"I just can't stomach the thought of anyone allowing the child to be raped." Sarita said.

"Me either… You said it yourself, tossing the blame around isn't helping, so let's not do that again." Wyatt said.

"Fine… I'm not blaming one person for what happened, but I am going to say if everyone had paid more attention this could have been stopped or even prevented." Christa said.

"Okay. You're not wrong about that, but we can't keep fighting about what happened. It won't change anything. We need to focus on making sure the group is okay, Clementine especially. That kid needs all the support she can get right now." Wyatt said.

"Wyatt's right. We can't keep putting Clem under all this stress." Sarita added.

Christa was silent for a moment before saying, "Maybe trust isn't our only issue…"

"What do you mean?" Sarita asked.

"We're all in one spot, it doesn't need to be like that… There are multiple houses in this town and we're the only ones here." Christa said.

"Those homes need a lot of work…" Wyatt said.

"Well, we have plenty of time and plenty of people to work on those houses." Christa replied.

"The question is, do our people have the energy to put in the work." Kenny said.

"It's better than sitting around." Christa said. "In all honesty, our options are pretty limited. It's clear that having everyone in one spot without any real personal space isn't going to work. It's only normal that people are going to get irritated with how hectic things have been. We could fit those houses up to the point of being livable and use this church as our meet up place."

"That's actually a good idea." Sarita said.

"It's going to take a while, but it's for a good cause." Christa said. "People need their space and having everyone stuck in one place when we're all so use to being on the move is enough to make anyone anxious."

"That's true." Wyatt agreed.

"So… Regarding Bonnie… Should I say anything to her?"

"I definitely would." Kenny said, a bitter tone in his voice.

Christa frowned. She didn't want to start any drama, but she couldn't let that woman keep acting like everything was okay.

* * *

"You okay." Bonnie asked. "He hit you pretty hard… How's it feel?"

"It hurts like hell, but I'm not dead yet. Not sure why, but I'm still here…" Luke muttered. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped a while ago, but his face still hurt. Still, it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

"Don't talk like that. You're here for a reason…" Bonnie said.

"Well… I wish I knew that reason…" Luke said.

Bonnie frowned at that. "Luke… Talk to me… I can tell you're not okay."

"No Bonnie. No, I'm NOT okay…" Luke said.

"I know things are tough, but I know how you-"

Luke interrupted her. "No. You don't know how I feel. Don't even say you know how I feel."

Bonnie paused for a moment. "Luke, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help."

"Help?" Luke scoffed.

"Yes. Don't get mad at me for trying to be a good friend."

Luke shook his head. "I don't need your help, Bonnie."

Bonnie looked disappointed. "But…"

"What we had is never going to be the same…" Luke said.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked.

"That friendship we had is gone. It died when you accused me of being a pedophile." Luke told her.

"I only went off what Clementine said." Bonnie stated.

"Clementine only said what she was told to say." Luke replied.

"I didn't tell her to say anything." Bonnie argued.

"Well then Carver did." Luke said.

"Nobody made her say anything… She said it herself." Bonnie said.

"Are you really defending him, after all he's done?" Luke asked.

"I'm not defending him. Clementine seriously said it herself." Bonnie said.

"I'm sick and tired of all the lies and the different stories. Just lay it straight with me. Did you really think I molested that little girl?" Luke asked in a serious voice.

"I… I didn't know what to think."

"Yes or no, Bonnie?" Luke questioned as he stopped walking.

"Really, Luke… There was so much going on, I had no idea what to believe." Bonnie said. "I feel absolutely horrible about everything…"

"If Clementine was being abuse before I even showed up, wouldn't that mean someone who had access to her was hurting her?" Luke said.

"I… hadn't thought about that." Bonnie said honestly.

"I know… You just jumped on the wagon, didn't you? You didn't even care who was driving it." Luke said.

"Clementine was driving it!" Bonnie exclaimed. "She said you hurt her. I took her word for it."

"She didn't say I molested her, did she?" Luke asked.

"No… She said you hurt her… then she recanted her statement…" Bonnie said. "I was suspicious that Bill was hurting her, but I didn't want to believe that he was capable of that… not after all the horrible things that he had already done… I wanted to believe there was a little bit of good left in him…"

"But you thought I was capable of it?" Luke scoffed.

"No… No, I… I wasn't thinking, Luke. I was just trying to find justice for that child. Whoever she blamed was a suspect, and I'm sorry that you went through all that for a false allegation…"

"I went through absolute hell… Clementine too. And please stop dragging her into this." Luke said.

"But she's the one who said it." Bonnie reminded.

"So, it's Clementine's fault? You're really going to blame the kid?"

"I'm not saying that…" Bonnie sighed.

"Yes, you are. If you really said I did it, just own up to it." Luke said. "You're entitled to your opinion, even if it's wrong."

"I'm telling you, I only said what I said, because Clementine blamed you."

"Okay… Once again, blame the eleven year old." Luke said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm not going to blame anybody. I'm just saying the truth." Bonnie said.

"Well, tell me how the conversation went, how did my name come up?" Luke asked.

"Carver mention you being a suspect after Clementine said she was hurt…" Bonnie said.

"…I don't know how it went down, but Carver's the one who led me to believe that you went him saying I had hurt Clementine. That was right before the girls were taken from the pen." Luke told her.

"That… That's not what happened." Bonnie said quickly.

"Why would he say that?" Luke asked.

"He's a liar. We all know that." Bonnie replied.

Luke snorted. "Yeah. I knew that before, you only seem to know it now that he's dead."

"Why are you suddenly jumping down on me like this?" Bonnie demanded. "You're not mad at me, you're mad at Kenny and you're taking out on me."

"I'm mad about everything, Bonnie. I'm mad that you've shown me that you'll only be my friend up to certain point." Luke said.

"When have I wronged you, Luke?" Bonnie asked.

"You wrong me when you accused me of being a pedophile." Luke said.

Bonnie crossed her arms and retorted, "Well, the allegations weren't completely wrong considering you had sex with her."

"You have no idea what you're talking about…"

"That's why you've been so weird lately? Because you had sex with Clementine?" Bonnie inquired.

"You don't know what happened. I would never touch a child. Not even if my life depended on it." Luke said.

"Then why did you?" Bonnie retorted.

"I didn't touch her, damn it!" Luke snapped. "Carver beat the shit out of me and tied me to a chair, then that sick asshole FORCED her to perform sexual acts on me. My hands were literally tied. What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell her to stop." Bonnie answered.

"I tried. She was so terrified of Carver, all she could hear were his threats. What I said didn't matter, she knew I couldn't help her. I would've shot that man right then if I could have." Luke said. "Nobody here has any clue how bad I feel everyday… Don't talk about what happened like you know, Bonnie."

"But…"

Luke cut her off. "I have more dirt on you than a broom. Just remember that before you accuse me of something horrible like that…"

Bonnie frowned, looking guilty. "I had no idea that he forced you…"

Luke's eyes softened. "Look… We both said some things that we shouldn't have…. And I'm sorry for that…."

"I'm sorry too…" Bonnie said.

Luke nodded. "Let's just head back to the group…"

"Okay…" Bonnie said.

Luke and Bonnie were silent as they both headed back to the group.

* * *

With tension high, the group members decided it was best to turn in for the night.

After everything that happened that day Luke didn't think he could sleep.

Depression and guilt struck him. While he tried to force himself to go to sleep he was overcome by images of what happened at Howe's.

He hated how powerless he had been. How he couldn't do anything.

He couldn't fall asleep, he couldn't force it. His mind was refusing to quiet down, he hated this.

"Luke...?"

Luke jumped at the sudden voice. "Clem?

The child shifted from foot to foot, looking nervous as she asked, "Did he hurt you much?"

"Who?" Luke asked back.

"Kenny…" Clementine said.

"He uh… No, don't worry." Luke said.

"I don't believe you… He hit you really hard." Clementine said. "What happened?"

"He… Broke my nose. I'm okay though." Luke said.

Clementine lowered her head. "I'm sorry… It's because of me."

"It's not your fault, kid. Kenny was just… being Kenny…"

Clementine didn't respond. She still felt bad.

Luke motioned for the child to sit beside him. The young girl did. "What are you doing awake, Clem?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Clementine ventured.

Luke sighed. "I couldn't sleep."

"Why?" Clementine asked.

Luke didn't answer, instead he reverted back to his line of questioning, "What are you doing awake, Clementine?"

"I just woke up. I'm not tired anymore." Clementine said.

"Really?" Luke asked. "I think you are. You need to rest."

"I don't want to... I have a lot of bad dreams when I sleep..." Clementine said.

"Did you have a bad dream now?" Luke questioned.

"No."

Luke raised a brow, "Then how come you don't want to sleep, kiddo?"

"Because I'll have a bad dream if I do..." Clementine said.

"Want to talk about it?" Luke urged. "I'm all ears."

Clementine hesitated. "I..."

"You don't have to..."

Clementine didn't say anything for a while.

Luke watched the child fidget with her teddy bear's scarf. "What do you go there?"

"His name is Promise. I found him…" The girl said.

"Promise?" Luke echoed.

Clementine nodded. "Yeah. Because he's broken like me."

Luke almost flinched at that, the child's words hitting him right in the heart.

"Can I lay with you?" Clementine suddenly asked.

Luke shrugged. "Sure, Clem."

The child gave a small smile as Luke made room for her to lay down. "Thanks…"

"Of course."

"Did you get a lot of supplies?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah… We got one of the trucks too." Luke told her.

"That's good…" Clementine said. "I guess the trip was worth it then… I really hate that place…"

"I do too, Clem." Luke said.

"Are you going to go back?" The child asked.

"No… We got what we need. I'm never going back there again." Luke said.

"Good… It's not a good place…"

"No, it's not…" Luke agreed. "Now try to get some rest…"

"I can't…. He won't let me…" Clementine asked.

"Who?" Luke asked before realization dawn on him, making him feel sick to his stomach. "Nevermind. You don't have to talk about it."

"No... I want to... It's Carver... He… he hurts me… Makes me play the sex game…" Clementine said.

Luke frowned, cringing a bit at what she called it. "The what?"

"The sex game…" Clementine repeated.

Luke pulled her close. "Well, it's just a bad dream. He can never hurt you again. No one can."

"But…It scares me… He scares me…" Clementine admitted.

"He can't hurt you, Clem. And if anyone ever tries, I'll personally kick their ass." Luke said.

"He… He says the baby is his…" Clementine told him.

Luke shook his head. "It's not."

Clementine looked confused, "What?"

"That baby's not his…" Luke said.

"Then whose baby is it?" Clementine wondered.

"It's… It's yours." Luke stated. "It's your baby, Clementine."

The child furrowed her brows. "But who is it's dad?"

"That doesn't matter. No matter what, that's your baby." Luke said.

"Okay... but I'm scared... I can't raise a baby on my own..." Clementine said.

"You won't have to... I'm here for you. And so is everyone else."

"You'll help me with the baby?" Clementine asked.

"I will… If you want me to be there, that is." Luke said.

"I… I do…"

"Then I will be." Luke said.

"Thank you…" Clementine said. She felt slightly better, knowing she had support.

Luke just gave a nod.

Silence feel for a few moments before Clementine said, "Luke…. I'm sorry that I told…"

"Told what?" Luke inquired.

"About us fucking…" Clementine said.

Luke sighed. "I'm not mad at you, kid. But please don't call it that."

"But isn't that what it is?" The girl asked.

"It's called sex, okay?" Luke said.

"Okay…" Clementine said. "I'm sorry I told about the sex."

"Like I said, I'm not mad at you." Luke said.

"Okay, good…" Clementine said. "So… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Clem."

Clementine hesitated before asking, "…Do you… do you touch your pee-pee?"

"My pee…?" Luke looked confused. He took in the innocent look on the young girl's face, wondering why she was asking him if he touch his urine? "Do I touch my pee?"

"No! Your pee-pee! You know… your thingy… Like your cock."

Luke suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Christa said it's normal. It's for private time… I touch my pee-pee, do you touch yours?" Clementine asked.

"Clementine-"

The girl interrupted him. "Can I watch you touch it?"

"Stop that? What the hell is wrong with you?" Luke demanded. "It's wrong! What he did to you was bad!"

Clementine whimpered. "I… I'm sorry… Am I bad?"

"No… No, you're not… But you can't talk like that…" Luke said to the child.

"Why?"

"Because it's inappropriate." Luke replied.

"Oh…" Clementine muttered. "I'm sorry… Please don't hate me."

"I don't…. I could never hate you, kid." Luke said.

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise." Luke said.

"Okay… Please don't break it…" Clementine said.

"I won't, kiddo." Luke said. "Now go back to sleep... Please."

"I told you, I can't sleep." Clementine pouted.

"Well, please just try." Luke said.

"Okay…" Clementine said. "But you need rest too."

"Okay then." Luke chuckled. "We'll both try to rest."

"Alright…" Clementine agreed.

"Good."

The girl laid down, clutching Promise close to her. "Night, Luke."

"Night kid…"

* * *

The next morning Luke and Clementine slept in and because of the day prior's events some of the group members weren't too comfortable with them sleeping so close near each other.

"You think we should wake them up?" Sarita asked.

"No… They could both use the rest." Christa said.

"We could at least separate them. I don't like him being so close to her…" Kenny grumbled.

"Kenny give it a rest. He didn't want that to happen." Christa said.

"Doesn't change the fact that it did." Kenny said.

"We need to move on, we're done playing the blame game, remember?" Wyatt said. "Luke didn't try to hurt that kid."

"Okay…. So, if someone were to "accidentally" murder someone, we should just forgive them and let them into the group?" Kenny asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Kenny… Clementine trusts him. If he meant to hurt her I don't think she would be snuggling with him…" Sarita said.

"Clementine's just too kind. She'll trust anyone." Kenny said.

"That's not true. Clem's not an idiot and stop acting like she is." Christa said.

"I'm not. I'm just saying, kids are gullible." Kenny said.

"Not that kid." Christa said.

"She's still a kid… Kids will trust whatever hand feeds them…" Kenny grumbled.

Christa just shook her head. "I'm not saying you have to trust him, but get off his back, will you?"

Kenny crossed his arms. "Fine, but if I see anything happen, I'm going off."

"You already did…" Christa sighed.

"Luke's not like that…" Bonnie piped up.

Kenny sent her a glare. "What do you know?"

"I know Luke." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, well, coming from you that doesn't mean much." Kenny said.

Bonnie raised a brow. "What?"

"We know about you too." Kenny said.

"Guys…." Wyatt said.

"You guys have all been picking on me." Bonnie said. "You're trying to push me out."

"Nobody is pushing anyone out." Wyatt said.

"They're trying to push me out..." Bonnie accused.

"No, we're not." Christa said. "But I did want to confront you. Clementine told me that you were aware of her being sexually abused, had a good idea who was doing it, and did nothing to help her."

"That's not true." Bonnie argued.

"So, she's lying?" Kenny asked, looking annoyed.

"For the last time, I'm not going to call a kid a liar!" Bonnie said.

"It sounds like you are." Kenny said.

"I wouldn't never call her a liar." Bonnie said. "I'm just saying I had no idea who was hurting her."

"So… you didn't know about her being raped?" Christa asked.

"Everyone knew that she was being abused. Everyone." Bonnie said.

"Yet, no one did anything about it. I just don't understand how everyone knew and just allowed it to happen. It's really blowing my mind, like seriously." Christa huffed.

"Christa, we didn't let that stuff happen to her." Kenny said.

"You didn't stop it either!" Christa said.

"Christa, it's no one's fault…" Sarita said.

"But it is. Every adult here is response in one way or another for what happened to that child. Because nobody looked after her, and I can say that because even now no one pays attention. She wanders off and we have no idea where she is. And I'm supposed to be okay with this?" Christa could feel anger building inside her.

"It's been a stressful time for everyone. Once we're all settled in, the kids will be fine. We know this town's safe. Nobody's here but us." Wyatt said.

"And we also know that could change at any time. Please don't be ignorant." Christa said.

"Christa, that's not fair..." Sarita said with a frown.

"What's not fair is that that little girl suffered and no one did a damn thing to help her." Christa replied.

"We tried, okay?!" Kenny snapped.

"Well, you should've tried harder! This group is driving me crazy, just a bunch of arbitrary nonsense." Christa snapped before storming away.

"Christa!" Bonnie called.

Wyatt shook his head. "Just let her go... She needs time..."

* * *

"Damn it, how'd you beat me?" Becca groaned, dropping her cards.

"They're fighting again..." Sarah frowned.

"Don't they always?" Becca said.

"Yeah... I don't like when they fight... It's so scary."

Becca rolled her eyes. "You're scared of everything."

"Am not..." Sarah said with a frown.

"Are too." Becca responded.

Sarah frowned. "You're so mean..."

"I'm honest, not mean." Becca said.

"They're so loud when they fight..." Sarah said.

"They're just all stressed out... Try not to worry much." Becca said.

"It's hard not to worry..." Sarah said.

"I know... That's the annoying thing about grown-ups... They tend to argue a lot." Becca sighed.

"I miss how things were before… Now it seems like no one can get along." Sarah said.

"This isn't a world where people hold hands and pick daisies. You might as well get used to it…"

"I don't know if I can…" Sarah muttered. "I mean…the grown-up fought at the cabin, but not every day."

"Their fights at the cabin weren't about a little girl who got raped." Becca pointed out.

"I know, but-"

"Just try not to worry. Everything will be fine." Becca tried to reassure the other girl.

Sarah gave a nod, hoping she was right. "Okay..."

* * *

"Mike… You good, man…?" Vince asked, noting how quiet Mike was as Mike was driving.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mike asked.

Russell spoke next, "What happened back there… It was crazy…. If you need to talk-"

"I don't need to talk. I don't want to talk." Mike said.

"Alright then…" Vince said, not wanting to push it.

"What about you? Are you okay?" Russell asked Vince.

"Been better…" Vince said honestly.

"How's your head?" Russell asked.

"I don't know… I've had a major headache for a while, but other than that, I'm okay…" Vince said.

"You think you got a concussion?" Russell asked, looking concerned.

Vince shrugged, "The doc will know. Hopefully not…"

"Yeah…" Russell said. "I hope everyone's okay."

"They're fine…" Vince replied.

"How do you know…?" Russell questioned.

"I don't…" Vince said. "I just want you to stop talking..."

Russell sighed at that. "I can't help it. I'm worried."

"If anything, the worse that will happen is they kill each …" Mike spoke.

"Not making it better…" Russell said

"Sorry…" Mike said.

"Let's just hope, everything is okay." Vince said.

"That's all we can do." Russell said.

* * *

Clementine had awoken in the late morning, once all the fuss had died down. The girl sighed in relief as she noticed how quiet it was. She was tired of the constant fighting.

"You getting up?" Luke still sounded tired.

"Yeah." Clementine said, forcing herself to her feet. She picked up Promise, holding the bear close. "Are you?"

"Probably soon… You go ahead. Get some breakfast or something." Luke said.

"But I'm not hungry…" Clementine complained. Her stomach growled, contradicting her words.

"You sure about that?" Luke asked in a slightly amused tone.

"Okay… maybe I am a little hungry… but I don't want to eat…" Clementine said.

"Why not?" Luke asked.

"Because I'll throw up…" Clementine said.

"You don't know that, Clem." Luke said.

"I do…" Clementine pouted. "I always throw up unless I eat soup… I don't want soup…"

"What do you want?" Luke asked her.

"I want French fries… but we don't have any… We don't have any of the foods I want…"

"Nope… We don't have any French fries, kiddo." Luke said.

"Too bad…" Clementine sighed. "Soup it is, I guess."

The child made her way over to Christa who was sitting alone.

"Is everything alright?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah… Are you okay, Clem?" Christa asked the girl.

"Yes… I'm a little bit hungry…" Clementine said. "Is everyone done fighting?"

"You heard that?" Christa looked surprised.

"Yeah…" Clementine said.

'I'm sorry, Clem… I just...I had to say something." Christa said.

"Am I in trouble?" Clementine asked.

"Of course not, Clem." Christa said. "Come on. I'll get you something to eat."

"Thanks… Umm… Are you sure everything is okay?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, sweetie. Everyone just needs some time to cool down."

"Oh…" Clementine frowned, "It's because of me... It's all my fault."

"Clem, it's not." Christa said.

"It is." Clementine frowned, "Luke got hurt because of me…. And everyone's mad because of me."

"No one's mad because of you. Listen to me… I don't want you to stress yourself out. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, okay?" Christa said.

"Yeah… Okay…." Clementine said.

"Good. Come on… Let's get you some food." Christa took the girl's hand.

"Okay, Christa…"

* * *

"Home sweet home..." Vince muttered as the truck pulled up outside the town. "Let's go."

"You guys go ahead..." Mike said.

"What do you mean?" Russell asked.

"I uh... I thought about it and I think I'm going to try my hand at Texas?" Mike told them.

"Texas? You're kidding right?" Vince asked.

"No... I'm not used to a big group." Mike said. "It's going to be me Arvo and Natasha..."

"What if there's nothing out there?" Russell asked.

"I'll take my chances..." Mike said. "I'm not going to stick and fuck anything up... or watch a little girl die giving birth..."

"If that's what you want to do... I respect your choice man." Vince said.

"Thanks... Hopefully, the group understands." Mike said.

"You gotta do what you gotta do..." Vince said. "Stay safe. And you're welcome to come back if you want."

"Thanks, man. You guys stay safe too… And… take care of that kid." Mike said.

"We will." Vince said. "That little girl's going to be just fine."

* * *

After finishing her food Christa had told Clementine to go play with her friends.

Clementine went over to where her two friends were playing connect four. The child sat on the church pew and watch them for a while.

"Hey Clem." Sarah greeted the younger girl.

"Hi…." Clementine said.

"You want to play?" Sarah asked.

"Umm… I don't know…." Clementine said. She started playing with her stuffed bear.

The two continued the game until Becca won.

"Ha! I kicked your ass!" Becca exclaimed before looking to Clementine. "Come on, pipsqueak, your turn."

Clementine's focus remained on her stuffed toy as she gave no response.

"Clem, you going to play with us, or what?" Becca asked.

The younger girl still said nothing.

Becca raised a brow, "Are you ignoring me?"

"I don't want to play." Clementine said. "I want to play with Promise."

Becca scoffed. "That ugly thing?"

"He's not ugly." Clementine looked offended.

"Yes, he is." Becca said.

"No, he's not!" Clementine said.

Becca smirked, "He's not just ugly. He's fucking hideous."

"Becca, stop." Sarah said.

"Why? Am I going to make her cry again?" Becca teased.

"I'm not going to cry for you. Just leave me alone!" Clementine snapped.

"Why don't you make me." Becca said, snatching the teddy bear from Clementine's hands.

"Give him back!" Clementine demanded.

"Nope..." Becca said.

"Give him back, now!" Clementine demanded.

Becca refused. "No. Not until you apologize for being disrespectful."

"GIVE HIM BACK!" Clementine yelled.

"I said no!" Becca said.

Irritated, Clementine stood, walked over to the older girl and grabbed the bear. "Give it back!"

"No!" Becca refused to release the bear.

"Guys stop!" Sarah said with a gasp.

The two girls ignored her as they continued to grapple over the teddy bear.

"LET GO!" Clementine shouted.

"You let go!" Becca said, still not letting go.

"You're going to rip it!" Clementine snapped. In a bold move, she hit the other girl's arm, quite hard.

Becca's response was to shove Clementine. The teen still kept a grip on the teddy bear.

"Give it back, you bitch!" Clementine snapped.

"What did you just say? What did you call me?" Becca demanded, looking pissed.

"A bitch! That's what you are!" Clementine repeated.

Becca glared at the child before throwing the teddy bear and shoving her to the ground where she pinned the girl by her wrist.

"Let me go!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Not until you take it back!" Becca said.

"Becca, stop. Leave her alone!" Sarah called. She didn't want to see her two friends fight.

"Stay out of this, loser!" Becca snapped.

Carlos and Christa had made their way over, drawn by the noise.

"Girls, that's enough! Becca, leave her alone!" Carlos ordered.

Becca ignored Carlos, glaring at the little girl on the ground "Apologize for calling me a bitch, or you'll never get your stupid teddy bear back!"

"You're the only stupid one." Clementine said.

"Clementine, look at yourself for once!" Becca snapped back.

"I can't see my intelligence in my reflection. So, who is stupid here, Becca?" Clementine said. "You're always being so mean. You're just mad about your sister, so you take it out on me!"

"You little brat- Shut the FUCK up!" Becca raised her fist, slamming it into the floor by Clementine's head.

The younger girl flinched.

Becca took a breath as she released Clementine. "You're… You're lucky I didn't hit you." With that the older girl stood and walked away.

"Clementine, are you okay?" Sarah asked.

Clementine could feel her heart pounding, suddenly a whimper tore from her little throat. Not too long later the child broke into sobs.

"Clementine don't cry…" Sarah hugged her friend. "It's okay…"

The girl pulled back from the hug. She didn't want to be touched. She forced herself to her feet, trembling slightly as she slipped her thumb into her mouth.

Christa frowned, watching the girl. "Come here, Clem…"

"NO!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Clementine…." Christa sighed, walking towards the child she pulled her into a hug. "Don't cry… It's okay…"

Christa sighed. She tried to calm the whimpering eleven year old down. "You want to color?"

Clementine shook her head.

"You want Promise back?" Christa asked.

This time the child nodded.

Christa picked up the stuffed animal and handed it to the little girl. "Better?"

"N-No…" Clementine sniffled.

"What do you want?" Christa asked.

The child's words surprised Christa. "...I want Luke…."

"Luke?" Christa asked.

"Yes please."

"He's busy right now…" Christa said.

"I want him!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Clem, please don't start. Please…" Christa groaned.

"I want Luke! I want him, please!"

Christa sighed, "Alright, calm down… I'll go get him."

"Okay…." Clementine said.

Christa got to her feet, walking towards where Luke was.

Luke was looking through one of the boxes of supplies that they had brought in when Christa approached.

"Luke…"

Luke looked up to her and greeted, "Hey, Christa…"

"Hey…" Christa said back.

"I uh… I found that spaghetti Clem's been asking for. I figured she's be happy about that." Luke said.

"That's good. She'll be glad." Christa said shortly.

"Yeah. It's canned but… you know…"

"Right…. She'll appreciate it." Christa said. "Anyway…. I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Luke asked.

"Clem…."

Luke sighed, "What about her?"

"It's about the baby actually… Do you think it's yours?" Christa asked.

Luke was quiet for a few moments, not knowing what to say. "…Maybe…" He frowned. Part of him was still holding on to that hope that Clementine would have a miscarriage, as dark as it seemed. The kid was just too young for a baby.

"And if it's yours… What will you do?" Christa questioned him.

"I'm going to take care of it. Same if it's not mine… That baby will be mine no matter what." Luke said. "As long as Clementine wants me to help, she'll have my help. She can't do this alone."

"Well… I guess that's all you can do…" Christa sighed. "She wants you… She got into a fight with Becca…"

"And she wants me?" Luke raised a brow. "Why?"

"Get used to it. It's normal for her to get clingy since she's pregnant, especially to the baby's father." Christa said.

Luke stood up. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine…"

"You must think I'm an asshole, huh?" Luke questioned.

"I don't… But I will say this…. If you ever hurt that little girl, you're going to have to worry about more than a broken nose…" Christa said.

Luke was taken aback. "You're… threatening me?"

"No… It's not a threat. It's a promise…" Christa said.

"I would never hurt Clementine." Luke stated.

"I'd like to believe that. But I have to be sure." Christa's harsh tone dropped and she said. "Come on. Clem's waiting for you."

Luke just gave a nod.

The two walked over to Clementine who was no longer crying. Luke kept the can of spaghetti behind his back.

"Hey kiddo. You okay?" Luke asked.

"I missed you..." Clementine said.

"Missed me?" Luke raised a brow, "I didn't go anywhere."

"I just wanted you to sit with me..." Clementine said.

"Well, I'll sit with you now..." Luke said, taking a seat by the girl. "Hey, I got you something."

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Close your eyes..." Luke said.

Clementine did as he said.

Luke pulled the can from behind his back, placing it into her hands. "Okay, look."

Clementine opened her eyes and beamed. "Thanks, Luke."

"Anytime, kiddo." Luke said.

* * *

"Stupid little kid, thinks she knows everything! She doesn't know shit…" Becca grumbled to herself as she paced the back of the church.

"Becca, what happened?" Bonnie asked, looking worried. "I heard you two fighting…"

"None of your business!" Becca snapped.

"It is my business. Tell me what happened, what did you do?"

"She started it! She started that shit." Becca said.

"Started what?" Bonnie asked.

"That fight…" Becca said. "And then she had the nerve to start crying. Little brat… She's lucky I didn't hit her."

"I'm glad you didn't hit her…" Bonnie said.

"I wanted to. I really did." Becca said, taking a breath. "It's just annoying, she keeps calling me a bitch."

"She doesn't mean it. You know that." Bonnie said.

"But she said it!" Becca snapped.

Bonnie let the girl continue.

"And… And she talked about Shel… She has no right!" Becca held back tears, she wasn't one to cry, but now she wanted to.

"Becca, it's okay…" Bonnie said, hugging the teen.

"I guess I made her mad… and I made her cry…." Becca mumbled.

"What were you two fighting for?" Bonnie asked.

"I… took her stupid bear." Becca said.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because she was ignoring me. And… partially for my amusement." Becca said.

"Really? Does it look funny to you when she's crying?" Bonnie asked.

"Somewhat… I don't know…" Becca said. "I've been trying to get along with her, but sometimes she's annoying."

"She's just a little kid, Becca. She's not trying to be…" Bonnie said.

"I know…" Becca groaned. "I guess I should apologize."

"Yeah…" Bonnie agreed. "You know you should."

"What did we miss?" Came Vince's voice as they entered in to the church.

"You're back. Took you guys forever." Becca said.

"Yeah, but we got a good amount of supplies." Russell said.

"You both look like crap." Becca said. "What happened?"

"It was more… hectic than we expected…" Vince said.

"We just went to Howe's, got some stuff from there." Bonnie said.

"We noticed the truck… How has everything been alright?" Russell said.

"Things have been crazy…" Bonnie said.

"On both ends." Russell said.

"Where's Mike?" Bonnie asked, noticing he wasn't there.

"He uh… He decided he should move on. Said he's going to Texas…" Russell said.

"Texas? What an idiot…" Becca scoffed.

"Becca… Stop… Why don't you go apologize to Clem?" Bonnie suggested.

"Fine, whatever…" Becca said before walking away.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked the two men.

"A lot…" Vince muttered.

"We have time…" Bonnie said. "You can tell me while Carlos is looking over your injuries..."

"We're fine. Seriously." Vince said.

Bonnie sent him an unconvinced look.

Vince frowned. "Bonnie-"

"Don't "Bonnie" me, you both look like you've been through hell. Get moving." Bonnie ushered them forward despite their protest.

"Alright, alright… " Russell groaned.

* * *

Becca felt anger and sadness along with a little bit of guilt. She didn't know what to say. She felt furious with herself for going off like that, and Clementine for speaking about Shel.

Yet, she knew if she hadn't started it the fight wouldn't have happened.

Becca sighed. More than anything in the world, she hated saying "sorry". The word felt like a bitter fruit in her mouth. She hated to apologize, especially when she was in the wrong. After all, she felt she was almost always right in what she did.

She walked towards Clementine who was much calmer now, the girl was scribbling away on a piece of paper.

"Hey..." Becca called to the younger girl.

Clementine glanced at her, but didn't say a word.

"I see you got your spaghetti." Becca said, noticing the can beside Clementine.

"Yeah..." Clementine simply said.

"So… The others are back…" Becca said.

"That's good…" Clementine said.

"Except Mike…" Becca added.

Clementine's face fell, "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He decided to go to Texas." Becca scoffed.

Clementine frowned. She felt like it was her fault he had left. "Oh…"

Becca knew she was stalling. She had never known apologizing could be so hard.

"Clem, listen... I shouldn't have picked with you like I did."

"No..." Clementine agreed. "You shouldn't have."

Becca coughed in disbelief. She gritted her teeth. "What?"

"You shouldn't have picked with me." Clementine said.

Becca couldn't believe that this was how the girl was accepting her apology. "You could apologize back."

"Why should I?" Clementine asked.

"What do you mean, "why should you"?! You should've never brought my sister up!" Becca snapped.

Clementine didn't even flinch. "What are you going to do? Hit me?"

"Clem..." Becca frowned.

"I'm done being a punching bag." Clementine said.

"I'm trying to apologize to you!" Becca exclaimed. "What's your problem?"

"What do you want me to do? Tell you that you did nothing wrong?" Clementine asked.

Becca crossed her arms. "I want you to take my apology, which is fucking rare, and forgive me. Then I want you to say sorry for bringing Shel up, and swear not to ever talk about her again."

"Fine..." Clementine said calmly. "I'm sorry for talking about your sister."

"Good." Becca said.

"I don't want to fight with you... I hate fighting..." Clementine said.

"I know. I didn't mean it... I won't pick on you so much anymore. "Becca said.

"Thank you..." Clementine said.

"So… we're good?" Becca asked. "Right?"

Clementine gave a nod. "Yeah..."

"Cool." Becca sighed in relief.

Clementine gripped her wrist before she could walk away, sending her a serious look that chilled the teen. "Don't you ever put your hands on me again."

Clementine then released her and went back to coloring.

Becca felt a shiver run down her spine, realizing the younger girl had just threatened her. It shocked her to see the younger girl seem so scary one minute and innocent the next. Becca quickly shook the shock away, thinking of something to break the ice. "Enough drawing. Let me kick your ass in connect four."

Clementine placed her crayons down and picked up her teddy bear. "Okay, okay. If you really want me to win so bad."

The two girls went over to play and were soon joined by Sarah. Eventually they got bored of connect four and started a card game, the fight completely behind them and things back to normal.

Sarah couldn't help but wonder why the adults couldn't all get along too. If it was so easy for Clementine and Becca to make up, why couldn't the grown-ups do the same? She didn't understand, but she knew one thing for sure, she was tired of all the fighting….


	15. Chapter 15

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

 _ **Also thanks to Louche and a guest user for ideas included in this chapter.**_

* * *

"Clementine, I want you to talk to me, please." Carlos tried to keep his voice calm as her tried to get the young girl's attention.

Clementine would give a slight twitch each time Carlos called her name, but the child didn't answer. Instead she played with the teddy bear she was holding in her lap, quietly humming to herself.

"Clementine, I thought you were going to try the alternative to cutting…" Carlos said.

"I have…" Clementine mumbled. "This happened by accident."

Carlos shook his head. "You don't cut yourself by accident."

"I do!" Clementine exclaimed before dropping her gaze again. "Carver cut me once. He did that on purpose."

Carlos frowned at that. "Clementine, Carver is not here. He didn't make those cuts on your arms."

"He did the one on my back…" Clementine said.

Carlos know what she was talking about. The doctor felt sick as he thought about how Carver had carved his initials into the child's skin. "I… I know he did. But we're not talking about that. We're talking about the new scars you made. Tell me what you used."

Clementine didn't respond.

"Clementine…" Carlos called.

"I don't want to talk…" Clementine said.

"You need to tell me…" Carlos said gently.

"No! I want Christa!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Christa is not happy that you've been hurting yourself. No one is happy about that." Carlos said.

"I don't care!" Clementine yelled. "I don't want to talk!"

"Okay then… We're done here." Carlos knew trying to make her talk wouldn't help.

Clementine got to her feet and rushed from the room.

Carlos watched her go. He couldn't help but wonder how long he would be able to keep this up.

* * *

For the next week and a half, the group members were working on the houses. They traded work shifts, so they weren't completely burning themselves out. They also worked on fixing the gate around the town, in order to keep the walkers out.

They wanted to get a jump on cleaning out the houses, but they knew better than to take on multiple projects at a time. The time the group spent working kept them busy. They even allowed the children to pitch in with simple task.

Things were moving at a slow but steady pace with them all pitching in. With nothing better to do, working on making the houses livable was the best thing keeping the adults entertained.

"I can't wait to get out of this church." Becca said.

"Why?" Sarah asked. "Don't you like it here."

"No way. There's too many people." Becca replied. "I don't know about you guys, but I like my space."

"I like space when I'm trying to read, but other times I like being around people." Sarah said.

"Unless they're fighting…" Clementine said. "Then it's miserable for everyone…"

Arguments among the group were common, but Clementine hated when they fought. After they argued with many hostile remarks thrown, they would finally settle down. With all the energy they spent fighting, they'd be exhausted and shell-shocked, to the point where they would just avoid conversation. It was like they were out to get one another and considering many of the group members were stubborn, they often got explosively combative. Even the most reasonable group members found themselves arguing about any little thing.

Clementine was just glad that the adults had been so busy lately they were too tired to argue.

"True. But honestly, I think adults are always miserable." Becca shrugged.

"Lee wasn't…. He was always trying to keep our group from fighting… Keep everyone together…" Clementine said.

"He sounds like a good guy." Sarah said.

"He was." Clementine said. "I'm going to name my baby after him… Him and my dad. Ed Lee… Or maybe Lee Ed sounds better."

"Hmm… I don't think either of them go well together… What about Eden Lee?" Becca said.

"Eden Lee… I kind of like that." Clementine said.

"What if the baby is a girl?" Sarah questioned.

"Umm… Then I'll name her after my mom." Clementine said.

"What's her name?" Sarah asked.

"Diana." Clementine answered.

"That's pretty." Sarah said. "Too bad we can't tell the baby's gender now…"

"Maybe there is a way." Becca said. "If you want to know, that is."

"I do… But how?" Clementine asked.

"I'll need a needle." Becca said.

"A needle?" Clementine repeated.

"Yeah… Like a sowing needle. You know what that is, right? You're not that stupid." Becca said.

Clementine shot her a look.

"I'm just kidding." Becca groaned. "You're so sensitive."

"What do you need a needle for?" Clementine asked.

"You tie a needle to a thread and hang it over your hand. The way it swings will tell you if the baby's a boy or a girl." Becca replied.

Clementine raised a brow. "You really believe that?"

"Of course, I do." Becca said.

"How can a needle tell the baby's gender?" Sarah asked.

"It's simple. The way it rotates tells the gender. If it spins in a circle it's a boy, if it goes side to side, it's a girl…" Becca paused, before saying. "Or maybe it's the other way around."

"Wait, you don't know?" Clementine asked.

"It's one of them." Becca shrugged. "And it works. Trust me on this."

"Okay then… If you say so…" Clementine said.

"Well… It worked on my aunt, it said she was having a boy and she did."

"Wow, really?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, really. I was only a little kid so I just remember the grown-up talking about it." Becca said.

"You sure it wasn't just a coincidence?" Clementine asked.

"It wasn't. I'm sure it works." Becca said confidently.

"I guess we'll just have to see." Sarah said.

"But how are we supposed to get a needle?" Clementine asked.

"We ask, duh." Becca said.

"That won't work. They would never give me a needle. They'll think I'd hurt myself with it…" Clementine said.

"Would you?" Becca asked.

Clementine went quiet at the question.

"Well, you won't even be holding it, so it doesn't matter." Becca said. "I'll get the needle. We only need it for a minute or two."

With that, the teen stood up and walked over to Carlos.

"Hey, Doc…" Becca said. "What's up?"

Carlos took in a breath, looking over to the girl. "What is it?"

"What do you mean what is it?" Becca asked. "That's pretty rude of you… I just wanted to talk."

"I find that hard to believe." Carlos replied.

"Okay… You're right. I need something…" Becca said.

"And what is that something?" Carlos asked.

"A sowing needle." Becca answered.

"What do you need a needle for?" Carlos asked her.

"We're doing an… experiment." Becca said.

"What kind of experiment?"

"We're trying to figure out the gender of Clementine's baby." Becca told him.

"We won't know the child's gender until the baby is born…" Carlos said.

"If you give me the sowing needle we will." Becca said.

"I'm not giving you a needle… Clementine injures herself with whatever she can use. I will not give you a needle which will enable her to hurt herself." Carlos replied.

"She's not going to hurt herself. I'm not going to give her the needle." Becca said.

"I said no, Becca." Carlos responded firmly.

"But why?" Becca groaned.

"Because it's not a toy." Carlos replied. "Now run along…"

Becca rolled her eyes and walked back over to Clementine and Sarah.

"Did you get the needle?" Sarah asked.

"No… But I will." Becca said.

"You don't have to." Clementine said.

"I thought you wanted to know your baby's gender." Becca said.

"I kind of do, but I'll be happy with a boy or a girl." Clementine said with a shrug.

"Hmm… I guess the gender is the least of your worries. I mean, your main concern is probably the baby being healthy. People say every birth should be perfect, but they're not. You know some babies are born with their hearts outside their body?" Becca said.

Clementine's eyes grew wide at that, she unconsciously moved a hand to her stomach. With her nearing her second month of pregnancy, she was constantly worrying about how big her stomach would get, but she hadn't thought about any complications that could occur.

"Becca!" Sarah said, looking shocked as well.

"What?" Becca huffed. "It's true."

"Why would you say that?" Sarah asked.

"Don't worry, Sarah. After hearing Rebecca give birth, I don't think anything can worsen my fears." Clementine sighed.

"You know that's going to be really painful." Becca said. "It's going to come on of your-"

"Please… Please stop…" Clementine said.

"I'm just telling you truth… You should get ready for the pain…" Becca said.

"Stop it!" Clementine exclaimed. "I don't want to hear!"

"Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you." Becca said.

"It's not like I can do anything about it. I'm having a baby, I'm going to be in pain." Clementine said. "Doesn't mean I need the horror stories about what can go wrong."

"Okay, okay, sorry." Becca said.

Clementine didn't respond as she went to playing with her teddy bear.

"What's with you and that bear?" Becca suddenly asked.

Clementine shrugged. "I like him."

"Why?" Becca asked.

"Because I do…" Clementine said.

"I think he's cute." Sarah replied.

Becca was quiet for a moment. "Let me hold him."

"After what you did to him? I don't think so." Clementine said.

"Oh, come on. I won't do anything. I just want to hold him really quick." Becca said.

Clementine responded by clutching the bear closer to her.

"Okay then. Don't let me hold him." Becca huffed.

Clementine still didn't say anything.

"Becca, why do you always have to pick on her?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not picking…" Becca crossed her arms. "How come everyone's always defending her?"

"How come you guys talk like I'm not sitting here?" Clementine asked.

"Sorry. You're so quiet, it's easy to forget you're there." Becca teased.

"That's not true. You're just being mean, Becca." Sarah said.

"Or she has a short-term memory, because she was just talking to me." Clementine said.

"Oh, shut up…" Becca said with a slight smirk.

"Anyway, people don't defend me all the time…" Clementine said.

"Oh please." Becca scoffed. "The grown-ups were giving me shit for days about that little fight we got into."

"The one you started?" Clementine retorted.

"I only started that because you were being obnoxious…" Becca said.

"Guys, it takes two to fight." Sarah said. "Please don't start. Let's just let bygones be bygones."

"Okay, fine…" Clementine said. "It's not a huge deal anyway."

"Yeah. Whatever…" Becca said. "I'm done talking about this. Let's see who's the best at Slapjack."

Becca started shuffling some cards before passing them out.

* * *

"This is taking forever…" Wyatt groaned.

"You think so?" Luke asked. "I thought we were making reasonable progress."

"I guess you could say that. I was just hoping things would go by faster." Wyatt said.

"Can't rush these things. It takes time." Vince said.

"Yeah, true." Wyatt nodded. "How's your head feeling?"

"Better than last week." Vince said.

"Considering what happened, I'd say that's a good thing." Russell said.

"Yeah." Vince agreed.

Wyatt looked to Luke and asked, "So… Has Kenny eased up yet?"

"The guy wants to kill me. I don't think he'll ease up anytime soon." Luke said.

"Wants to kill you for what?" Vince asked.

"The… The situation with Clem." Luke replied.

"You mean what happened with her and Carver?" Vince raised a brow. "What does that have to do with you? It wasn't your fault…"

"No… It's something else…" Luke said with a frown. "Something that happened between Clem and I…"

"As in?" Vince asked.

Luke didn't respond for a while.

"Come on, you can tell me…" Vince said.

"Carver… He uh… forced Clem and I to… engage in sexual intercourse…" Luke finally muttered, looking ashamed.

A look of horror crossed Vince's face. "Wait… He made you… He made you have sex with a kid?"

"Holy shit…" Russell muttered.

Luke gave a nod. "I hate myself for it every day… If I could've stopped it, I would have."

"Damn… Was Bill really always THAT fucked up?" Vince shook his head in disgust. "Poor kid…"

"I feel like an absolute piece of shit…" Luke said. "I'm surprised Clementine doesn't hate me for it…"

"How did… it happen?" Vince asked.

"He had me tied to a chair… He threatened us both, told Clem what to do and she just… did it…" Luke said. "She was scared. And after he made us do what she did with me… He raped her himself… He made her look into my eyes while he raped her."

"You didn't want that to happen, Luke…" Wyatt said.

"It doesn't matter. I should've done something. I should've helped her!" Luke said. "I promised I would stop him. That I would protect her… And I failed her. She was counting on me, and I crushed what little trust she had…"

"If you were tied up there's nothing you could have done." Wyatt said.

Luke shook his head. "I should've found a way…

"Hey, I've seen how you are with kids. I know you as a person, and I know you wouldn't hurt anyone like that… That was all Carver…" Vince said. "Clem knows that… We know that."

"I don't know that. Not everyone knows that." Luke said. "I just… Feel like I can't do anything right. Everyone I know is either dead… or fucking damaged… Everyone… I don't know how Carlos is keeping it together right now… I can't imagine having to treat that child everyday…"

"He's a tough person… He has to be tough, for his daughter…" Vince said.

"I guess… Everytime I look at Clementine; I'm reminded of what happened. And it makes me sick." Luke said. "And this pregnancy is no help. I want to be there for her… But I keep thinking negative thoughts about this baby… I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're traumatized, and rightfully so. You were forced to have inappropriate relations with a child." Wyatt said.

"Wyatt's right… Look, if you ever need to talk, man we're here…" Vince said. "Keeping all that shit bottled up, it's not good for you…"

"I… I appreciate it…" Luke said. He really did, but that didn't mean he was going to take up the offer. He was sick of the pity he received from part of the group and the judgement he got from the others. Clementine was who the focus should be on. It didn't matter how stressed or depressed he was feeling, after what happened to Clementine, she needed attention.

Clementine wasn't the only person he couldn't stand to look at without feeling like he was going to drown in guilt. He couldn't even bring himself to look his own reflection in the face. Not anymore.

* * *

After several hours of working on the house the group decided to call it a day. They returned to the church.

They made some stew for dinner and they all ate. After dinner, the adults engaged in light chatter, while the children entertained themselves with board games.

Eventually the adults started up a card game. Sarita watched them play while tending to little AJ.

Everyone seemed to be getting along, having fun even. They were all amused by the quips and practical jokes going around.

"I think it'll be good once we get situated into those houses." Russell said.

"I agree… That will be good for all of us." Sarita said. "It'll be nice to relax."

"Yeah. All this stress and stuff isn't good for anyone, especially not Clementine." Christa said.

"Well, once we finish those houses up, Clem will have a more stable place to stay." Luke said. "And she'll finally get to rest for a while."

"Right… She needs to relax." Christa said. "And once we move into those houses, I'll make sure she can."

Kenny raised a brow. "What do you mean you'll make sure? She's staying with me."

Everyone could sense the tension in his voice.

"No way that's going to happen, Kenny." Christa said.

And before anyone knew it, an argument had broken out.

"Excuse me? Why the fuck not?!" Kenny demanded.

"You don't know how to take care of her. She needs to be with someone who can provide for her needs without stressing her out." Christa said.

"I'm not going to stress her out." Kenny said.

"You blamed her for getting raped!" Christa snapped.

"Hold on… What?" Luke looked shocked as did the others. "How could you blame her for that?"

"I apologized. She accepted it!" Kenny said.

"That doesn't make it okay!" Christa retorted.

"I didn't mean to say that. It just slipped out." Kenny said.

"And who is to say it won't slip out again?" Christa huffed.

"It won't." Kenny stated. "Look, I promised Lee I would look after her. So that's what I'm gonna do."

"Well, in case you didn't know, Omid and I made the same promise." Christa said.

"Well Omid's not here! It's just you and I think Lee would prefer Clementine be with the person he's known longer." Kenny said. "I've known that kid for a long time. I'm the best thing for her."

"How dare you!" Christa hissed. "I've looked after that girl for two years. Two years, Kenny! So… don't you dare tell me you're a better fit than me!"

The girls had slowly approached the adults, drawn by the noise.

Sarah quickly moved towards her father, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"What's going on?" Clementine asked, clutching to Promise tightly.

No one answered her question.

Kenny and Christa continued to argue.

"I've had a child before. I know how to look after her." Kenny said.

"Those two years meant something, Kenny. I was the one who took care of her after Lee died. I made sure she was fed and clothed. Omid died for her damn it!" Christa snapped.

Clementine gasped at those words.

Christa looked to the child, just realizing she heard all that. "Clem…"

The child lowered her head, her little shoulders shaking slightly as she let out a whimper. Guilt kicked in at the thought of Omid. "Omid... Omid died, because of me…" Clementine managed to get out.

"That's not true, Clem." Christa said. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was… He's dead thanks to me. All I do is get people killed." Clementine said. "If I wasn't around everyone would be better off."

"That's not true, Clementine. Omid did what he did to keep you safe. What happened, was not your fault and he wouldn't ever want you to blame yourself for it." Christa said in a serious voice. "Don't you talk like that anymore."

Clementine didn't bother to respond.

"Alright, Clem… We need you to make a decision." Kenny suddenly said.

The others sent him a look.

"Are you serious right now, Kenny?" Vince huffed.

"Damn right I am." Kenny stated. "Clementine, who do you want to stay with? Me or Christa."

Clementine looked taken aback from the question. "I… I…" She didn't know how to respond to that question.

"Clementine, you don't have to answer that." Sarita said. "Don't pay him any mind."

"No… I want an answer." Kenny said. "Me or Christa? Who's it gonna be?"

Clementine looked between the two, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I think she should stay with Luke." Bonnie suddenly piped in.

Luke looked surprised.

"Wait- What?" Luke asked. "Why me?"

"Well… She is pregnant with a baby that may or may not be yours…" Bonnie said.

Luke frowned, "I… I don't know if that would be a good idea." With how sexual Clementine could act at times, he knew he'd do more pushing the child away than comforting her. He didn't feel comfortable being alone with her.

"W-Why?" Clementine looked a bit hurt. "You don't want me?"

"That's not it, Clem… Look… I don't mind you staying with me whenever you want… but you need a stable guardian and I think Christa is the most fitting choice." Luke said.

"What?" Kenny growled. "Why not me?"

"You can be a bit overbearing…" Luke muttered.

"Screw you, asshole!" Kenny said. "Who would want to stay with you anyway? You're a fucking child molester!"

Luke's eye twitched. "I swear if you call me that again-"

"You'll what?" Kenny inquired. "Hit me? I'd like to see you try!"

"You're really pushing it, Kenny." Luke said.

"What are you going to do about it? Do I need to remind you of how our last fight went?" Kenny asked.

"Kenny, stop!" Clementine pleaded. "Leave him alone!"

"Why are you defending him? After what he did to you?" Kenny demanded.

"He didn't do anything to me!" Clementine argued.

"He had sex with you!" Kenny said.

"That wasn't his fault! He didn't want to!" Clementine told him.

"I don't give a shit if he wanted to or not! He still did it!" Kenny said.

"I did it! Not him! He didn't want it!" Clementine said.

"Clementine-"

Before Kenny could say another word, Sarita spoke. "Kenny, that's enough!"

Kenny tried to protest. "But…"

"No buts." Sarita said. "Kenny, we have our hands full as it is with AJ. Having two children to look after with split our focus."

"We can handle it." Kenny said.

"I'm not going to let you." Christa said. "I've taken care of Clementine before, and I'm going to do it again."

Kenny looked to Clementine. "What's your choice, Clem?"

"I don't want you guys to fight anymore, please…" Clementine begged.

"Clementine… I just want to know what you want. I want you to make a choice." Kenny said

Clementine frowned and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Kenny sighed. "Darling… it's not that hard. Just-"

"Why are you guys always fighting? I hate it!" Clementine exclaimed, covering her ears. "Just stop it! Stop fighting!"

"I believe Clementine would be more comfortable with a woman looking after her… Not to mention, Christa knows what she's doing and she can keep a leveled head. Considering we're dealing with an abused child, all that is important." Carlos said.

Kenny crossed his arms about to speak. "I don't-"

"We understand. Which is why we agree that Clementine should stay with Christa." Sarita said.

"Sarita…" Kenny started to complain.

"Clementine's mental and physical health is more important than what you want. End of discussion." Sarita said.

"Fine…" Kenny said, nothing more, nothing less.

"Good… Glad that's settled." Christa said.

Clementine slowly dropped her hands from her ears, her whimpers dying down.

"Maybe we should all turn in for the night…" Wyatt said.

"As a matter of fact, I think I will." Kenny got to his feet and practically stormed off, clearly upset.

Everyone was quiet for a while before Clementine announced, "I'm going to talk to him."

"Clementine, wait!" Sarita called.

The girl didn't listen as she followed after Kenny.

The young girl caught up with the man just as he took a seat on one of the pews.

"Kenny…" She called gently.

Kenny let out a sigh upon noticing the girl. "What is it, Clem?"

"I… wanted to talk to you…" Clementine said.

"What's there to talk about?" Kenny asked.

"Are you mad at me?" Clementine questioned.

"Why would I be?" The frustration was evident in his voice.

Clementine was quiet for a moment. "I didn't mean to upset you… I'm sorry…"

Kenny's steam quickly died down. "No hon… I'm sorry. Come here."

The child hesitantly walked over to him and Kenny pulled her to sit beside him. "I'm not mad at you. Don't worry."

"Then who are you mad at?" Clementine asked.

"No one, darling." Kenny said. "I'm not mad at all…"

"But you had an attitude…" Clementine said. "I just want everyone to stop fighting."

"I know… Look, when I get upset it's not because I'm mad at you. I just want what's best for you. I'm trying to protect you, Clem." Kenny said.

"But… you're not… I don't need to be protected from my friends." Clementine said.

"I just want to make sure you're safe."

"I am." Clementine said. "No one here would hurt me…"

"What about Luke?" Kenny asked.

"I told you already, that wasn't his fault. He didn't want that. Carver said if I didn't do it, he would kill him… I didn't want him to die, so I did…" Clementine explained.

"Are you sure he wouldn't hurt you?" Kenny asked.

"Of course, I am. Why would you ask that?" Clementine replied.

"Because it's hard to trust people. You never know what they might do…" Kenny said.

"I trust you." Clementine said.

"That's different. You've known me since you were eight." Kenny said.

"I trust you because you're my friend." Clementine said. "Luke's my friend too. I trust him. He would never hurt me… You don't have to like him… but just try to get along… please?"

Kenny sighed, "Alright fine. But only because you asked me to. I'll do my best to trust your judgment of people…"

"Good… Thank you." Clementine said. "And no more fighting…"

"I can't promise that…" Kenny said.

Clementine rolled her eyes. "At least tell me you won't hurt anyone anymore."

"I'll try not to. My body reacted before I had the chance to think." Kenny said.

"You need to work on that." Clementine said.

"You're right. You're right." Kenny said. "But I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

"I do… Can't say Luke does though…" Clementine said.

"Well… I can't blame him…" Kenny said.

"He'll come around…" Clementine said. "Things are tough now, but it will get better."

Kenny chuckled. "You're such an old soul. Probably the most mature person I know."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Clementine asked.

"It's good. But you're growing up so fast that it's making me feel old." Kenny smirked.

"At least you don't have grey hair yet." Clementine said.

"Oh, I think I got a few. Why else do you think I wear a hat. Gotta keep 'em hidden." Kenny joked.

Clementine gave a small giggle before her face fell as her gaze drifted to her friend's eye. "How's your eye?"

"Don't worry about that. You're what's important." Kenny said.

"Does it hurt...?" The child asked.

"From time to time, but the Doc has been taking care of it." Kenny said.

"That's good. I'm sorry that happened to you…" Clementine said.

"Hey, none of that was your fault." Kenny said. "Don't go blaming yourself…"

"Okay… We should probably get some rest." Clementine said, noticing the rest of the group heading to bed.

"Alright, Clem…" Kenny said as the child stood up. "Sweet dreams."

Clementine walked over to where Christa was and laid beside the woman.

"You okay?" Christa asked.

"Yeah…" Clementine said.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much… He's going to try to get along more…" Clementine said.

"I'll believe that when I see it…" Christa scoffed.

Clementine didn't respond, she held Promise close and closed her eyes. It didn't take long for the girl to drift off.

* * *

… _Warm… She felt a comfortable warmth surrounding her. It made her feel safe. Almost as if she was being held in a protective embrace._

 _The child shifted closer to whoever was holding her and her eyes fluttered open._

 _"You awake, Sweet-pea?" The voice sounded so familiar, she felt her heart speed up. She looked around and noticed she was in a familiar RV._

 _"L-Lee?" The words escaped her lips, as she came face to face with her old guardian. This couldn't be real. Lee couldn't be here… He was dead, wasn't he?_

 _Was her mind just playing tricks on her? She didn't want to blink, just in case._

 _Swallowing the hard clump in her throat, she slowly met his gaze. Unable to hold herself back, she tossed her arms around the man, breaking into sobs._

 _Lee rubbed the child's back in a soothing manner. "It's alright, Clem… I'm here…"_

 _Clementine felt her heart clench as she clung to her former guardian. "Why'd you leave me? You promised you wouldn't!"_

" _I'm here now, Clementine." He spoke in a gentle voice._

 _"I'm sorry…" Clementine mumbled._

" _For what?" Lee asked._

" _For… For getting you killed…" Clementine whimpered._

" _Oh, sweetie… You didn't…" Lee said._

 _The girl lowered her head sadly. Tears in her eyes, she couldn't control the words that slipped from her mouth. "Do… Do you still love me?"_

" _Of course I do…" Lee said. "I never stopped loving you. And I never will stop."_

 _Clementine looked up to see the man smiling kindly at her. Allowing tears to fall, she held tighter to him. "L-Lee." She whimpered as she felt his strong arms wrap around her._

 _"There, there, Sweet-pea." He muttered. "It's okay, Clem."_

" _I… I want to tell you something…" Clementine said._

" _What is it, Clem?" Lee asked._

" _I… I'm pregnant…" Clementine said._

 _Lee was silent for a while. "…I know…"_

" _Are you mad?" Clementine asked._

" _No, I'm not." Lee said. "Not at you…"_

" _Who are you mad at?" Clementine asked._

" _That man who hurt you…" Lee said. "And I think Kenny and the others should've done more…"_

" _It's not their fault…" Clementine said. "I don't blame them…"_

 _Lee just sighed. "Are you okay? How are you holding up?"_

" _I'm… getting by…" The child said._

" _That's good, Clem…"_

" _Can't you come see me more often?" Clementine asked._

" _I'll certainly try…"_

" _Good… I missed you a lot." Clementine said. "You know… If my baby's a boy I'm going to name him after you."_

" _I'd be honored if you named my son after me." Came another voice. One that made her skin crawl._

 _Clementine's eyes went wide in horror as she noticed Lee was fading away into this incredibly deep darkness._

 _"No, LEE! You can't go." She tried to keep a hold on him, but it was no use._

" _Settle down, honey." Came Carver's voice once more._

 _Clementine trembled a bit as she looked around. She realized she was now in a cabin, standing in the kitchen…_

" _Stay back!" Clementine ordered to her abuser._

" _Don't be like that, honey. I've missed you." Carver said._

" _I hate you! Just leave me alone!" Clementine exclaimed._

" _I can't do that. I've told you, you belong to me." Carver replied._

" _I don't belong to ANYONE!" Clementine exclaimed._

" _Who are you fooling, honey? You know you're mine. You and that baby." Carver said._

" _It's not yours!" The girl argued._

" _Then who's is it? Luke's?" Carver scoffed._

" _It's mine." Clementine said._

" _It takes two to make a baby, honey." Carver said. "That baby is mine. It's a result of our love."_

" _IT'S NOT!" Clementine exclaimed. "I HATE YOU!" She looked to the knife and_ _grabbed it. She quickly lunged towards the man. Carver dodged her blow and grabbed her arm. He forced the child to drop the knife and it crashed to the floor._

 _He then shoved the child forward, allowing her to fall to the ground._

 _Clementine felt her heart start to pound as Carver picked up the knife._

 _The girl scrambled to her feet and tried to sprint towards the door, but Carver grabbed her before she could._

 _"Let me go!" The girl cried._

 _"Quiet!" Carver held her against his chest and pressed the knife to her throat._

 _Clementine felt her heart skip a beat._

 _She kept telling herself that this was just a dream... He couldn't hurt her._

 _"Tell me who you belong to..." Carver said._

 _"No one..." Clementine got out._

 _"You fucking bitch, tell me..." Carver growled. "Need I remind you?"_

 _Clementine whimpered, she wanted to get away from him, but she was paralyzed with fear._

 _"You know, the first time I saw you, I knew I had to have you..." Carver said. "I should've took you right here, on this floor..."_

 _Clementine shuddered as she felt his hot breath on her neck._

" _I guess it was worth the wait… To see you go from being so resistant to begging me to please you." Carver said. "It was amazing, fucking you like the whore you are… Now, tell me who you belong to…"_

 _Clementine kept silent, biting her lip._

" _You want to play that game, huh?" Carver pressed the knife harder. "Who do you belong to? Tell me, honey..."_

 _The girl still refused to comply._

 _After a while Carver growled again. Clementine felt the cold knife press into her neck and then a searing pain. She knew that that knife had drawn blood._

 _"N-No..." This was a dream... That shouldn't be possible._

 _Her heart thundered in her chest. Terror shot through her little body._

 _"You belong to me... I can do whatever I please with you." Carver said, his free hand moved to her overall straps and he undid them. Her overalls fell to the ground._

 _"P-Please... Don't..." Clementine begged, fearing shaking her voice._

 _Carver smirked. He moved a hand to the girl's panties, slipping it inside. "What's stopping me? Nothing, that's what... Nothing can stop me."_

 _Another whimper tore from the girl's throat and she suddenly felt a warm liquid run down her legs._

* * *

Clementine shot upright. She became aware of her surrounding and took a deep breath. Tears were streaming down her face, her body quaking wildly.

The girl jumped slightly when she heard a distant wail from little AJ, followed by Sarita's voice comforting the infant.

The little girl tried to calm her pounding heart, but her tears wouldn't stop.

"Clem?" Christa called. "You okay?"

Clementine whimpered more. "No..."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Christa said.

"Y-Yeah…" Clementine said through her tears. "I… I wet myself…"

"You… You had an accident?" Christa asked.

"…Yes…" Clementine said, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay…" Christa got up, helping the young girl to her feet. "We'll just get you cleaned up."

"O-Okay…" Clementine said. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, sweetie. It's okay." Christa took the girls hand and brought her to the bathroom.

Christa looked through the bathroom and found a washrag. "Alright, Clem. Use this to clean up…"

"I can't…" Clementine shook her head. "I'm dirty…"

"You're not, Clem…" Christa said. "Here, I'll help you clean up…"

The woman touched the child's overalls and Clementine immediately panicked. "NO!"

"Clem-"

"Don't touch me! Don't TOUCH me!" Clementine exclaimed.

Christa flinched at the child's yell. "I just want to help you get cleaned up…"

"No… no no no…" Clementine whimpered.

"It's okay, sweetie…" Christa managed to undo the girl's overalls and pull them down.

Clementine just continued chanting the word "no" and trembling.

Christa felt her heart breaking. She kept herself composed as she undressed the child. She ran the sink and wet the rag. She then used it to clean the girl up.

Once she was done she turned the water off. "I'm going to find something for you to wear, Clem…"

Clementine didn't give a response. She stood still, a distant look in her eyes.

"I'll be back…" Christa said, not expecting the child to reply.

Clementine still said nothing.

Christa went to search the church for something Clementine could wear.

"Is everything okay?" Bonnie asked tiredly. "I heard a yell..."

"Clementine's just freaking out... I need some clothes for her..." Christa said.

"Oh, I meant to tell her I grabbed her some clothes when were at Howe's." Bonnie said.

"Mind getting them?" Christa asked.

"Yeah." Bonnie got up to get some jeans and a simple sweater. "The sweater is gonna be big on her... but it'll do..."

"Yeah... Thanks." Christa accepted the clothes and quickly headed back to the bathroom.

As she approached the bathroom and heard the sink running. Christa raised a brow and entered.

The sight she saw shocked her.

Clementine was holding her arm under the faucet.

Christa walked into the bathroom and noticed the faucet was adjusted to the hottest temperature.

Christa immediately rushed over and grabbed the child. "What the hell are you doing?"

She turned on the cold tap, turning off the hot water and held Clementine's arm under its spray.

The child quivered slightly. "I'm sorry..."

"Why would you do this, Clementine." Christa said. "Look at your arm, sweetie..."

"It wasn't my fault..." Clementine said.

"Clem, you burnt your arm..." Christa said as she looked at the child's scalded arm. She turned off the faucet. "We need to show Carlos..."

Christa slipped the large sweater over the child's head. Clementine winced as the fabric brushed her arm.

"Come on..." Christa took the girl by the shoulder and ushered her out the room.

Christa went over to Sarita who was awake and giving AJ a bottle.

"Is everything okay?" Sarita asked.

"I need you to watch Clem..." Was all Christa said.

"What happened?" Sarita asked, looking concerned.

"She... She burnt her arm up, pretty bad..." Christa said.

Sarita's eyes widened at that. "Oh, Clem..."

"I'm going to wake Carlos." Christa said.

Sarita nodded.

Christa went to get Carlos while Sarita kept an eye on Clementine.

Clementine didn't say a word when Sarita asked her why she hurt herself. Nor did she respond when Christa and Carlos came over and told her to come to the office.

* * *

"What on earth possessed you to do this to yourself, Clementine?" Carlos asked as he applied some ointment to the girl's wounded arm.

"I don't know…" Clementine whispered.

"Doesn't it hurt…" Christa asked the child.

"Yes… It hurts a lot…" Clementine answered.

"Then why did you do it? Do you like pain?" Carlos asked.

"…Only when I hurt myself…" Clementine said.

Carlos shook his head at her response. He finished putting the ointment on and started to bandage it. "If the world was how it was before, you would be in an institution by now. Strapped to a bed where you couldn't hurt yourself."

"He's right, Clem." Christa said. "You can't keep doing this…"

"I said sorry." Clementine said.

"Sorry doesn't help when you continue to hurt yourself!" Carlos said. "This is a continuous pattern with you."

Clementine lowered her head. "I can't help it…"

Carlos didn't respond as he continued bandaging her arm. "It's not even morning and this is what I wake up to…"

"Carlos…" Christa said gently. "Take it easy."

"We might as well do your daily check-up now." Carlos said once he finished bandaging her arm.

The girl's eyes widened. "You… You mean take my clothes off."

"Yes, Clementine. How else will I check you?" Carlos said.

"She won't have to… You can just lift that shirt and… check her." Christa said.

Clementine quickly shook her head. "No… Please don't make me… I don't want to…"

"Clementine, you know I have to." Carlos said.

"No… I don't want you to check me there…" Clementine said.

"If I don't you're going to get an infection, and you and the baby could die." Carlos said. "You need to let me check you."

Clementine was silent for a while before gently agreeing. "Okay…"

"Good." Carlos said, motioning to the bed in the corner. "Lay back please."

The girl seemed hesitant and Carlos didn't miss the fear in her eyes.

"Christa, can you restrain her?" The doctor asked. He had a feeling Clementine might struggle.

"I... Yeah… Okay." Christa slowly walked over to Clementine and pinned her to the bed.

"NO! NO! LET GO OF ME!" Clementine shouted.

The girl's tears were falling before anyone did anything.

Carlos felt sick to his stomach as he watched the child struggle and cry.

This wasn't what he wanted. He didn't become a doctor for this...

He remembered treating victims of gun violence, stabbings, and other horrific crimes... He remembered the blood he saw, the yells he heard… It all came with being a doctor. At least that's what he told himself.

Now he was starting to wonder was this what being a doctor meant? That he would constantly have to inspect this little girl's private areas against her will?

He never thought he'd have a case as traumatizing as this one… Out of all the patients he had tended to Clementine was his most difficult.

She was just a child… She didn't deserve all this…

He tried to block out the girl's whimpers as she begged him not to touch her... Not to hurt her...

He figured the poor child was having some sort of flash back.

He felt horrible, knowing he was not only invading her privacy but worsening the PTSD that the girl was without a doubt suffering from. He was trying to help her, but the way she cried made him feel like the worse person in the world.

From the way she reacted, he was sure that each time he touched her she was reminded of that madman who had tortured her.

Remind himself that this is not why he became a doctor, right?

He kept wondering how much longer he can handle this…

"We're done here…" Carlos said.

He averted his gaze as Christa comforted the whimpering eleven-year old. He felt like a monster for making the poor girl cry.

Christa thanked him for helping Clementine before taking the young girl back to bed.

It was becoming a struggle to keep his emotions bottled up and act like he wasn't bothered by everything that was going on. Yet he knew for the sake of the group he had to stay strong…

He was a professional… This all just came with being a doctor. At least that's what he told himself.

* * *

When morning came the adults discussed the events that had happened last night.

Christa glanced over to Clementine who was clinging to her teddy bear and sucking her thumb. "She's not doing good... She woke up from a pretty bad nightmare... I took her to the bathroom and later found her burning her arm."

"Poor kid..." Vince muttered. "What are we going to do?"

"I thought you were going to take care of her?" Kenny said. "How did you let her burn herself?"

"I didn't let her!" Christa said. "If she's not within someone's line of sight at all times, she's going to hurt herself. I've been watching her on my own... No one else pays attention..."

"You are her guardian after all." Kenny huffed.

"That doesn't mean I can do everything on my own!" Christa said. She was quiet for a while. "I'm scared, okay... I'm scared that one day something's going to happen and I'll be too late to help her..."

"We won't let that happen..." Sarita said.

"No way in hell we will." Kenny said.

"She needs a lot of help... And a lot of support..." Carlos said. "She's hurting herself because she's in control of her pain. That makes her feel better."

"We'll do whatever we need to do..." Luke said.

Christa just sighed. "I'm glad that Carver guy is dead..."

"I think we all are…" Luke said.

After a solemn silence, Bonnie tried to switch to a lighter topic.

"What happened to Clem's overalls?" Bonnie asked.

"She had an... accident last night..." Christa said.

"Oh..." Bonnie fell quiet.

"Yeah... Those things were no good anyway." Christa said.

"I thought she was cute in them..." Bonnie shrugged.

"Yeah, well... We'll have to find her some new clothes..." Christa said.

"Actually, there's a little clothing store, not too far from Parker's Run... Maybe we could head there..." Bonnie said.

"That's not really a bad idea. I think everyone could use a change of clothes." Luke said.

"That's for sure… And showers…" Russell said.

"Well, how about we take down everyone's sizes and then send a group out to get as much clothes as we can." Bonnie said.

"Sounds like a plan." Luke said.

The others agreed.

* * *

The girls sat in an awkward silence. They could tell something was bothering Clementine as their little friend began sucking her thumb, something she did whenever she was stressed out.

For a while they didn't say anything. Sarah distracted herself with the checker board, while Becca looked through a comic book that Wyatt had brought back from the run to Howe's.

Both of the older girls felt anxious with how quiet Clementine was.

"What's going on, Clem?" Becca finally asked. "Why are you so quiet?"

Clementine's response was to shrug.

"Are you feeling sick?" Sarah asked. "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

"Yes... We're fine..." Clementine said.

Becca knew the girl was far from fine. The teen's eyes drifted to Clementine's arms and she noticed a new bandage. "What happened?"

"...Nothing..." Clementine said.

"It's not nothing. What happened to your arm?" Becca inquired.

Clementine frowned and sighed, "I burnt it..."

Sarah gasped. "Why would you do that?"

"I... I don't know..." Clementine said. She really didn't understand why she couldn't stop hurting herself.

"You should stop... What if you hurt yourself really bad one day? You could kill your baby." Becca said.

"I'm trying to stop... I just can't..." Clementine said.

"You can't or you won't?" Becca asked.

"I can't... You... You don't understand. When I hurt myself..." Clementine paused searching for the words. "It feels as if I'm in charge."

"In charge, how?" Sarah asked.

"I can't explain it... It hurts on the outside, but it makes me feel better on the inside." Clementine said.

The two teens exchanged looks, not knowing what to do. They wanted to help their friend, but they didn't know how to.

* * *

After getting everyone's clothing sizes, the group gathered around and discussed who would go on the trip.

"I'll go. It'll give me something productive to do." Russell said.

"Where are you going?" Becca asked

"Are you always this nosey?" Russell jokingly asked.

"Who said I was talking to you?" Becca huffed.

"Well you didn't specify who you were talking to." Vince pointed out.

"Unless you planned on answering my question, neither of you." Becca said with a smirk.

"They're going clothes shopping." Wyatt said.

"Clothes shopping? In the apocalypse?" Becca asked.

"We're going to get some new clothes, because we all could use some." Bonnie said.

"Okay... Who is we're? Who's going?" Becca asked.

"So far Russell and I." Bonnie said.

"I might as well tag along." Luke said. As long as he kept occupied he wouldn't be thinking about how depressed he was.

"I'll go too." Christa said.

"I'm going with you." Clementine said.

Luke furrowed his brows. "Clem... I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"I want to go..." Clementine said.

"Alright, fine. But you gotta stay close to me..." Christa figured getting the girl out of that church for a while could do her some good. Not to mention, she didn't feel to comfortable leaving the child alone when the group already barely paid attention to her.

"I will." Clementine said.

"Hold up, if she's going I'm going too..." Becca said.

"Alright... But you stay close too." Bonnie said.

Becca nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Can I go, dad?" Sarah asked.

"It's too dangerous, sweetheart. We'll do something fun around here..." Carlos said.

"Like what?" Sarah asked.

"You can help me look after the baby." Sarita said. "Would you like that?"

Sarah smiled. "Yes, I would."

"Okay then..." Bonnie said. "Looks like we got our group."

The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

About an hour had passed before the decided group members backed up some weapons and ammunition and headed out.

Luke couldn't help but feel anxious about this trip. He felt they were undermanned, and bringing the kids only made him more nervous.

Bonnie drove the way to the clothing store she had mentioned.

The ride was fairly quiet. Every so often there would be a short conversation among the passengers, minus Clementine who had not spoken a word since they got in the truck.

They soon arrived at the clothing store. As expected the store was in messy condition. Glass windows were shattered, carts thrown on their side, clothes racks broken.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be." Christa said.

"How about we find you some cute clothes?" Bonnie suggested to Clementine.

"I want Christa to help me. Not you." Clementine said.

Bonnie looked saddened by the rejection. "But Clem..."

"No..." Clementine said. "You didn't want to help me before. Why would I want your help now?"

Bonnie frowned at the child's harsh words.

"Settle down, Clem. Come on, we'll see what we can find. Maybe get you a few training bras." Christa took Clementine's hand and the two went to search for clothes.

"I'm surprised this place is in decent shape." Russell said.

"Yeah… Me too. I guess getting clothes was the last of people's concern unless it was for a weather change." Luke said.

"Yeah. Probably." Bonnie agreed. She then called to Becca. "Becca, stay close."

"Alright, geez Bonnie. You're so bossy." Becca huffed. "I'm just going to look around."

"I'm just making sure you stay safe." Bonnie said.

"I'm not a little kid. I can handle myself." With that Becca walked off.

Bonnie sighed she decided to pick out some stuff for Sarah.

* * *

Luke and Russell had decided to pack up some bags of clothes, gather various shirts and sweaters of all sizes. It seemed easier than going through everyone's individual sizes.

Russell noticed that Luke's attention kept drifting over to the infant section. He couldn't help but wonder what Luke was think about.

"Well, I think we've got enough…" Russell said.

"Yeah." Luke said.

"What now?" Russell asked.

"I uh… I want to look at the baby clothes." Luke said.

"Baby clothes?" Russell asked. "Why? I think AJ has a good amount of clothes."

"I just want to look, okay?" Luke said.

"Umm…. Okay…" Russell replied a bit awkwardly.

Russell watched as Luke walked away and a realization dawned on him. Luke must have been thinking about the baby… Russell let out a sigh, he didn't know how Luke was handling this without freaking out.

Lugging the bag of clothes over his shoulder, he decided to look around for anything else that could be useful to the group.

* * *

"How you holding up, Clem?" Christa asked the quiet child as she looked through a clothing rack.

"I'm okay…" Clementine mumbled. "Are you upset?"

"About what?" Christa asked.

"Last night…" Clementine said.

"I'm not happy that you hurt yourself…" Christa said.

"…I'm sorry." Clementine said.

Christa sighed and brought the girl to a dressing room where she let the child try on a couple outfits and a few starter bras.

"I don't like this…" Clementine said. "It feels weird…"

"You'll get used to it." Christa said.

"Bras are a part of growing up that every girl goes through."

"But these ones are confusing. I don't know how to put it on…" The child said, lifting up one of the bras.

Christa took the bra from the girl's hands and showed her how to snap it. "You just hook it in the back. I'll teach you when we get back to town."

"Okay… I still don't like it…" Clementine said.

"Well, you can just use these slip-on ones for now." Christa said.

"Do I have to wear them everyday?"

"Yep." Christa said.

Clementine pouted at that.

Christa had the girl try on a few more outfits before the two headed out of the dressing room.

"Christa…" Clementine called. "When I hurt myself, does it hurt my baby?"

"Well… You can hurt the baby…" Christa said. "You wouldn't want to hurt the baby, would you?"

Clementine shook her head. "No…"

"Then you have to stop hurting yourself… I know it feels good to be in charge of your pain, but it's not good for you to hurt yourself." Christa said.

Clementine gave a small nod. "I'll try to stop. I will…" At least until her baby was born.

"Good." Christa said.

"So… Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Clem." Christa said.

"Is my baby going to be born with its heart outside its chest?" Clementine asked.

Christa was surprised by the question. "What?"

Clementine simply repeated herself.

"Who told you that?" Christa asked her.

"Becca said it could happen." Clementine said.

Christa shook her head. "I don't think that's going to happen. Your baby is gonna be fine. Don't worry."

"Okay." Clementine said.

Christa noticed Luke heading over to the baby clothes area. She furrowed her brows. "Clem… Go see what Becca is up to."

"Is everything okay?" Clementine questioned.

"Everything is fine." Christa said.

"Umm… Alright." Clementine went off to find Becca.

Christa looked over to Luke who was shoving baby clothes into a bag. She walked over to him and said a gentle, "Hey… You alright?"

Luke didn't respond for a moment. He stopped putting clothes in the bag and sighed.

"This isn't what I wanted…" Luke mumbled. "I didn't want kids anytime soon, especially not in this world."

"At this point we can't do much…" Christa said. "We just need to support her. She needs all the support she can get."

"I want to be there for her. For the baby… But I can't help but feel like I'm going to have a hard time doing that. I mean, I can't even look at Clem without feeling like everything is my fault." Luke said.

"It's not your fault." Christa said.

"I know I promised to be there… But I feel like I'm going to be a shitty dad…" Luke said.

"I'm sure you'll be a good father… This world isn't the best to raise a child in, but you'll figure it out." Christa said.

"How?" Luke asked.

"You're a smart guy. And as far as I can tell a good guy. You'll make a good dad." Christa said.,

"I sure as hell hope so…" Luke said.

* * *

Clementine trudged her way over to Becca who was looking through clothing racks with Bonnie beside her.

"Hey, Clem… Did you find any clothes?" Bonnie asked.

"Christa helped me find some." The child responded. "She said I need to start wearing these training bras…"

"What for? You're still flat as a board." Becca said.

"It's still good for her to wear them. She's growing up, Becca." Bonnie said.

"Hmm…. She's baby-faced, she's flat. You call that growing up?" Becca asked.

"If that's the case, you're not too grown-up either." Clementine said.

"Shut up, Clem." Becca said. "At least I'm more blessed than you. You don't got anything."

"What if I don't shut up?" Clementine asked.

"Then I'm going to rip your teddy bears head off when we get back." Becca said.

Clementine gasped. She was glad she asked Sarita to hold onto Promise. Who knew what Becca would do to him. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" Becca asked.

"Girls, that's enough." Bonnie said.

The two stopped their argument as quickly as it started.

"I'm bored. Let's try to find a sowing needle." Becca suggested.

"You're still on that?" Clementine asked.

"You want to know the gender, don't you?" Becca said.

"Gender of what?" Bonnie asked.

"The baby." Becca said.

Bonnie gave a confused look. "How are you going to figure that out?"

"I need a sowing needle. There has to be one somewhere..." Becca said.

Russell raised a brow and as he approached, "What do you need a sowing needle for? You making a sweater?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Becca scoffed.

"We're in a clothing store, if she wanted a sweater she could just find one." Clementine said.

"Fair point." Russell shrugged. "So, what are you guys doing?"

"I'm trying to tell the gender of Clem's baby." Becca said.

"How is a sowing needle going to do that?" Russell asked.

"The way it swings tells if the baby is a boy or a girl." Becca explained.

"You really believe that works?" Russell asked.

"That's exactly what I asked." Clementine said.

"Yeah. I said it once and I'll say it again... Of course it works!" Becca said.

"If you say so... Seems like a legend to me..." Russell shrugged.

Part of Bonnie was regretting coming on this trip. She felt completely unwanted. The woman watched as the other three engaged in conversation, feeling a bit awkward.

"Hey, Russell, I'm going to nip it outside for a bit. Mind keeping an eye on the girls?" Bonnie asked.

Russell gave a nod.

Clementine watched as Bonnie headed for the exit and left the building the child was curious on where she was going.

"Alright, I guess I'll help you find your sowing needle." Russell said.

"Good. Come on, Clem." Becca looked over to where the younger girl was to see she was no longer standing there.

"Oh shit… Where'd she go that fast?" Russell said.

* * *

Bonnie released a sigh as she got outside. She went into her jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She took one of the cigarettes, shoving the pack back into her pocket, and lit it up. She leaned against the wall and took a long drag from the cigarette.

"You smoke?"

The little voice made Bonnie jump and she quickly looked to the source. "You startled me, Clem."

"Sorry. I didn't know you smoked." Clementine said.

"I have been recently..." Bonnie admit.

"Where'd you get those?" Clementine asked.

"When we were at Howe's we just grabbed anything we thought was useful." Bonnie replied.

Clementine raised a brow. "Cigarettes are useful?"

"They help with stress." Bonnie said before offering to the girl, "Want a hit?"

Clementine looked to the cigarette for a moment the said, "No thanks..."

"What are you doing out here?" Bonnie asked the child, taking another puff of her cigarette.

"I wanted to see what you were doing..." Clementine said honestly.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me. You hate me, don't you?" Bonnie asked.

"I... I don't hate you..." Clementine said.

Bonnie was quiet for a while. "Do you remember when you saw me first? Back at the lodge? "Check her for weapons". I liked you from the start." Bonnie said. "Still do. Even if you don't like me..."

"It has nothing to do with liking...I don't trust you..." Clementine said. "Back at Howe's... You could've helped me. And you didn't."

"I'm so sorry for that, Clem." Bonnie said. "I didn't want to believe that Bill was capable of hurting a child like that."

"After everything else he'd done. He was crazy..." Clementine said.

"I know... I just thought everyone would be safer at Howe's." Bonnie said.

"Even if it meant I had to get raped everyday?" Clementine asked bitterly.

"I didn't know he was raping you Clem..." Bonnie said.

"Well, what did you think he was doing?" Clementine asked.

"I... I didn't think he was doing anything. I knew he had hit you and I knew he could be overzealous when it came to discipline, but I didn't know about the sexual abuse... Not immediately anyway." Bonnie said.

"So at some point you knew?" Clementine asked.

"I had an idea... But when you said Luke hurt you, I thought you meant it." Bonnie said.

"You know what he did... Carver took a belt and beat me with it and told me that Luke was the one who hurt me." Clementine told her.

"I... had no idea, Clem..." Bonnie said with a frown. "I'm so sorry about everything that happened. And I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"I doubt that day will be anytime soon, but maybe..." Clementine said.

"Okay..." Bonnie took another puff of her cigarette. "You ever done somethin' you regret? Even if it's somethin' you knew you had to do?

Clementine thought for a moment. "Sure, I have... Who hasn't these days?"

Bonnie hummed in response. "Lemme ask you somethin', Clem. When's the last time anyone did what you wanted?"

"People don't really listen to me... Not most of the time anyway..." Clementine said. "I think this baby thing is the only thing they're hearing me about and they're still barely listening."

"Yeah..." Bonnie muttered taking another drag of her cigarette. "How does it make you feel?"

"...I don't know... Not good... But part of me feels used to it." Clementine said.

"That's not something you should get used to..." Bonnie said.

Silence fell for a moment before Clementine asked, "Can I try that cigarette...?"

"Sure." Bonnie handed the child the cigarette.

Clementine put it in her mouth and inhaled. She started choking. She pulled the cigarette away and offered it back to Bonnie.

Bonnie gave a slight chuckle, taking the cigarette back. "You know, I've been all over. Run with a lotta people. a lotta men. And listened to a lotta promises. Ain't one of 'em come true." Bonnie said bitterly. "I'm starting to think there might be another way, you know?"

"What do you mean "another way"?" Clementine asked.

Before Bonnie could answer the door to the store opened and the others came outside.

Bonnie quickly scuffed her cigarette out then stuck her hands into her pockets. "You all ready to go?"

"Yeah." Luke said.

"What were you two doing?" Christa asked.

"Just talking." Clementine said.

"Talking?" Christa asked.

"Yeah…" Bonnie said.

"Okay then…" Christa said. "Let's head back…"

They headed back to the truck and started the ride back.

Their drive was cut short however as Russell noticed a familiar truck, surrounded by walkers. "That's the truck Mike took off in…"

"Looks abandoned…" Luke said. "Think it ran out of gas or something?"

"I don't know…" Russell said.

"Maybe he's in trouble…" Clementine said. "We should help him."

"We have no idea where he is…" Christa said.

They noticed a trailer area, and walkers nearby. Observing the zombies, they could see that their focus was on getting into the trailer as they were banging against a trailer door.

"Something definitely got their attention." Becca said. "People must be inside…"

"I guess we should see if we can help them…" Russell said.

"This is a bad idea…" Christa said.

"Russell, Bonnie and I will go…" Luke said. "Christa, you and the girls stay here."

"Wait, what? That's not fair." Becca complained.

"It's for your own safety, Becca." Luke said.

"I can take care of myself. I'm not a little kid." Becca grumbled.

"But we're not going to put you at risk." Bonnie said. "Stay here where it's safe."

Becca crossed her arms. "This is such bullshit…"

"We'll be as quick as possible…" Luke said.

"I don't want you to go…" Clementine said. "I want you to stay with me."

"Christa is gonna stay with you. She'll look after you. And we'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise." Luke said.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

The three of them got out of the truck.

"We need a plan…" Russell said. "How are we going to get to them?"

"We take the walkers out. That's our best option." Luke said.

"Luke's right." Bonnie said.

Russell sighed, "Okay…"

They trio started firing shots at the walkers, careful not to hit any of the trailer windows. They knew the sound would draw more, but they hoped they could be gone before more showed up.

The remaining walkers turned their attention to the three and started towards them.

It wasn't long before they had taken out half the walkers.

They work on clearing out the vicinity before rushing towards the door. Luke gave a knock. "Open up!"

"Who's there?" Came a familiar voice.

"We're here to help. Open up!" Luke said.

A moment passed before the door opened.

They noticed more walkers coming from the woods, drawn by the gunfire.

"Mike?" Bonnie asked.

"Get inside, hurry." Mike said.

"We need to get back to the truck!" Russell said.

"Natasha's not feeling too well..." Mike told them.

"What happened?" Luke asked. "Was she bit?"

"No... I... Just come inside." Mike replied.

They exchanged looks before following Mike into the trailer.

"What happened?" Luke said.

"Our truck ran out of gas and we came here hoping to siphon from one of those cars and got cornered by walkers..." Mike explained. "We've been in here for hours."

"Are you guys okay?" Bonnie asked.

"I think so..." Mike said.

Luke looked over to Natasha who was looking pale. "You don't look so good."

Natasha didn't say anything.

"You guys can come back to the town, we have the space." Bonnie said.

"You sure the others will be okay with it?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. If not they'll get over it..." Luke said

"Alright then..." Mike said.

"Let's get out there before anymore walkers show up." Bonnie said.

Mike and Luke helped Natasha up and they headed outside.

Bonnie and Russell covered them as the made their way to the truck with Arvo close behind.

"What happened?" Becca asked.

"No time! We need to go, now!" Luke said as they all got into the vehicle.

Christa hit the gas as walkers started coming from the woods. She drove off, hitting one of the creatures that stumbled in front of the truck.

She didn't stop though, nor did she slow down until she felt they were safe.

Clementine sent Natasha a concerned look. The woman looked sick. It was then she caught sight of her bloodied sleeve and realized Natasha must've been bit.

* * *

They eventually arrived back at the town.

Christa pulled the truck to a stop and said, "We're here."

The group got out of the vehicle.

Christa frowned as she took in Natasha's appearance. "You okay?"

Natasha gave a small nod.

"No one was bit, right?" Christa asked.

"I don't think so." Mike said.

"You don't think?" Christa asked him.

"She got grabbed, but it was quick. I don't think she got bit." Mike said.

"No... No bites... She just needs medicine..." Arvo said. "She's sick, is all."

"Okay then... Some rest might help too." Bonnie said. "Let's get to the church."

Clementine was torn on if she should say something or not... Something told her the wound on Natasha's arm was a bite.

Christa was skeptical as well, but said nothing.

They got back to the church and were greeted by the other group members.

They hadn't even been inside for five minutes before Kenny notice Mike, Arvo, and Natasha. "Look who came crawling back..."

"I think you got it wrong man. I don't crawl back to anyone." Mike said.

"Then why are you doing here?" Kenny asked.

"Kenny, do you really have to start drama?" Luke huffed as he placed the bag of clothes he was carrying down.

"I'm not starting any drama." Kenny said. "I'm just wondering why he ditched the group and now he's showing back up."

"Kenny, enough. You don't have to argue everyday..." Sarita huffed. She handed Clementine her teddy bear.

"Thank you." Clementine said.

"I don't argue unless I think it's necessary." Kenny replied to Sarita.

"Girls, go play." Christa said, not wanting the girls to see the argument.

Becca rolled her eyes. "Alright, come on, Clem."

The teen was clearly annoyed about being treated like a kid, but didn't complain.

Clementine was hesitant, but Becca tugged her off.

As Kenny, Mike, and Luke began to argue, Bonnie and Arvo brought Natasha to sit down.

"Do you need anything?" Bonnie asked the woman. "Some water or something?"

"Yes... Water..." Natasha said.

"Got it." Bonnie said going to get a water bottle.

* * *

"This sucks..." Becca sighed.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"For one they act like we shouldn't be able to hear anything..." Becca said.

"Well... Maybe they don't want us involved in their arguments..." Sarah said. "No one likes being in the middle of a fight."

"Then they should stop fighting..." Clementine said. "Kenny said he would try to get along..."

"Grown-ups are miserable. They can't stop fighting." Becca said. "Forget them though. We have a problem of our own."

"What's that?" Clementine asked.

"I haven't been able to find a sowing needle." Becca said.

"Becca, it's not a big deal." Clementine said.

"Is too." Becca stated. "I have to prove that it works."

Clementine shook her head. "Fine. If you really want a sowing needle, I'll get it."

"How?" Sarah asked.

"I'll just see if I can get it." Clementine said. All the adults were distracted, she'd easily be able to get the sowing needle. "I'll be back."

The girl walked over to their supplies before she could look in the bag however a voice asked, "What are you doing?"

"I... was thirsty..." Clementine said.

"Oh. We can easily solve that." Bonnie reached in one of the bags and got two water bottles. "Here you go, Clem."

"Thanks..." Clementine said.

"You mind taking this water bottle over to Natasha, she's not feeling too hot..." Bonnie said.

"Is she bit?" Clementine asked.

"Arvo said she wasn't. She just needs to rest." Bonnie said.

"Okay..." Clementine accepted the water bottle and walked over to Natasha and Arvo.

The woman looked almost lifeless. Clementine felt nervous as she held out the water bottle to Arvo. "It's for her..."

"Thank you..." Arvo said.

Clementine gave a nod before quickly scampering away.

* * *

The group's bickering didn't take too long to die down. The group members we now looking through the various bags of clothes.

"Are you alright, Clem? You're sucking your thumb again..." Sarah said.

Clementine sighed and pulled her thumb from her mouth. "I just got a bad feeling."

"About what?" Sarah asked.

Clementine didn't answer. She looked over to where Arvo and Natasha were and was surprised to see Arvo appeared to be upset, maybe even crying.

Her feet worked on her own and she stood. Clutching anxiously to her teddy bear and ignoring her friends calls, she walked over to Arvo.

"What happened?" Clementine asked him.

"Na...Natasha..." Was all Arvo said.

"Is she..." Clementine trailed off looking to the woman's unresponsive form.

Arvo confirmed her fears as he started to cry harder.

The girl frowned. "Arvo... I'm sorry, but you need to-"

"Don't touch her! Go away! Leave me alone!" Arvo snapped.

"But she's gonna turn!" Clementine protested.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Arvo shouted.

The others looked over in concern. Kenny and Christa quickly got up, ready to come over.

Clementine flinched at his yell. "I'm sorry..." The child turned to walk away. Before she could take a step however she felt a strong hand grip her wrist.

The girl winced and spun quickly trying to pull away, dropping Promise in her shock and nearly tripping herself.

Arvo who was nearby started to try to talk her undead sister down.

Clementine tugged, trying to free herself. Christa and Kenny dashed over.

Christa wasted no time in shooting the walker.

"NOOO!" Arvo cried.

Clementine felt the creature release her and the child lost her balance. She scrambled backwards and noticed Arvo shoot her then Christa a glare.

Christa also noticed Arvo's glare as she made her way over to Clementine, helping the child up.

Kenny was already seething, and the others had gathered asking Clementine if she was okay.

Christa couldn't help but feel that bringing Arvo and his sister back was a big mistake.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Concern flooded throughout the room.

Clementine was shaking, eyes wide in fear.

Sarah and Becca both wore nervous looks on their faces.

It wasn't long before panic broke out and quickly turned into an argument among the adults.

As soon as the adults started bickering, Sarah threw her hands over her ears, not wanting to hear.

Carlos quickly noticed his daughter and started to lead her away.

"Is… Is Clem hurt?" Sarah asked before he could remove her from the area.

"Christa will take care of her…" Carlos reassured his daughter. He knew if the child was hurt they'd bring her to him soon anyway. "Come on…"

Sarah gave a tiny nod. She didn't want to be around the grown-ups when they fought. It made her too nervous.

Becca walked over to Bonnie and asked, "What the hell happened? Is Clementine okay?"

"She… She's fine, I think." Bonnie replied sounding unsure.

Meanwhile Christa had helped Clementine off the ground and was checking the child for injuries.

Becca and Bonnie watched as Christa checked Clementine over.

Becca quirked an eye brow. "I thought they said she wasn't bit."

"They didn't think she was…" Bonnie said.

"How did they not know?" Becca asked.

"I… I have no idea, Becca." Bonnie said with a sigh. "Why don't you… go play?"

Becca sent her a look. "Do I look like a baby to you?"

"I never said you were. There's just a lot going on right now…" Bonnie said.

"And?"

"And I don't think you need to be involved." Bonnie said.

"Why not? I'm a part of this group. I have the right to be involved. Besides, it's not like you guys do anything but fight anyway." Becca said.

Bonnie frowned at that. "Becca, please. Just go…"

"Fine." Becca huffed. "Whatever."

With that the teen walked away. Bonnie wanted to check on Clementine, but she decided it was probably best to stay back and let Christa deal with it. She noticed Christa trying to keep the others from crowding the shaken up child.

"Is she okay? She's okay, right?" Luke asked, almost panicking.

"She's fine." Christa said as she continued to check the girl for bites. She found no bites or scratches. Clementine looked startled by what had just happened, but the girl wasn't hurt.

"Why the hell would you bring them here?" Kenny snapped.

"They needed help." Luke said. "What did you expect us to do, just leave them?"

"Yeah!" Kenny said. "He chose to take off anyway! Why come back now?"

"Look, I'm not looking for any trouble… They said you guys would be cool with us returning to the group." Mike said.

"You brought that woman here, knowing that she was bit!" Kenny snapped.

"I didn't know she was bit!" Mike said.

"Bullshit! How did you not know?" Kenny demanded.

"We were surrounded by walkers and Natasha fell. She had close call, but she had said she was fine…" Mike explained.

"Clearly she wasn't fine." Christa huffed.

"Exactly!" Kenny said. "She could've killed Clementine-"

"Stop fighting!" Clementine exclaimed.

Kenny looked over to the child, "Clem-"

"Stop it… Please, just stop…" Clementine said.

Christa sighed and enveloped the child into a hug. "It's alright, sweetie."

Kenny frowned as he looked to Clementine's trembling form. He went and picked up the child's teddy bear. He then approached the little girl and offered it to her. "Here, darlin'."

Clementine shakily accepted the stuffed animal. "Thanks…"

"You alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Kenny asked.

"N-No…" The child stammered while clutching close to Promise. "I… I'm okay…"

"Come on, let's play with your friends." Christa said.

Clementine was silent as Christa led the child over to Sarah and Becca who were both concerned from all the commotion.

For a while Clementine didn't want to interact with anyone. She stayed close to Christa, but eventually she calmed down enough to join Sarah and Becca in a game of "go fish".

Sarita kept an eye on the girls and AJ while Christa went to help the others figure out what to do with Natasha.

* * *

"We should bury her..." Mike said.

"Yeah... It's only right..." Luke said.

"Don't forget her and her group tried to kill us before. And thanks to them being so secretive about her bite, Clementine nearly got bit!" Kenny grumbled.

"We didn't know she was bit!" Mike said. "Just relax, man."

"Don't tell me to relax!" Kenny snapped.

"You're always starting some kind of fight! Just back off, man!" Luke said.

"Enough!" Christa exclaimed.

Her stern tone caused them all to quiet down.

"We're going to bury her, and that's that. She at least deserves that much. And you guys aren't going to stop the fighting because it's not helping anyone, got it?" Christa said.

Kenny sighed. "Alright. Do what you want..."

"Good." Christa said.

Kenny just shook his head and walked away.

Mike looked over to Arvo who was muttering to himself. "I feel horrible. Poor kid doesn't deserve this."

"No... He doesn't..." Bonnie frowned.

"I'm gonna talk to him." Mike said.

Mike walked over to the boy. "It gonna be okay... We're going to bury her, alright..."

Arvo didn't respond.

"I'm sorry this happened..." Mike said. "But she's in a better place now."

Arvo just sobbed as he looked over to his sister's body.

Mike tried to comfort the boy, but it didn't help. Eventually Mike decided to give him some space.

"How's Clementine doing? Is she alright?" Luke asked Christa, looking worried.

"She's fine, Luke. She's over there playing." Christa said

"I… I should check on her…" Luke said.

"No… She's fine. Sarita's keeping an eye on her." Christa said.

"She has the baby… She can't look after all of them." Luke said.

"Carlos was sitting over there with Sarah. I'm sure he'll help Clem if she needs anything." Christa said.

Luke shook his head. "I need to make sure she's okay. I-"

"You need to calm down. Just let her have some space to calm down. You're all worked up and if you go over there you're gonna get her worked up too." Christa said.

"She's right. Besides, I'm sure Kenny's over there too. Right now, we need to focus on getting her outside…" Vince motioned to Natasha's corpse.

"Yeah… You're right…" Luke sighed.

It wasn't long before Mike walked back over, wearing a frown. "Come on…Let's get her outside…"

The others nodded.

Vince and Russell went to search for some shovels.

Christa went off to find a spare blanket and gave it to Luke. Luke, Mike, and Wyatt then used the blanket to wrap Natasha's body in. After doing so, the men lifted the body up and carried it outside. Christa followed behind them.

They found a spot to bury the body, in an area in the back of the church.

Bonnie went over to Arvo and eventually convinced him to come with her outside.

Luke, Mike, and Wyatt placed Natasha's body on the ground.

Arvo walked over to his sister's corpse and collapsed by it. He began sobbing again.

Several minutes passed before Vince and Russell came out with some shovels they had found.

They didn't start digging right away. They gave Arvo the time to say his goodbyes.

Twenty minutes passed before Arvo could no longer cry. He shakily got to his feet and they took that as their cue to start digging.

With only two shovels, they rotated turns digging. Despite the cold weather, and their aching hands, they continued to dig. Over an hour had passed, and the group forced themselves to complete the task.

When the hole was at a large enough depth, the men carefully lifted Natasha's body and lowered it into the hole.

Arvo didn't even glance over, knowing he would cry again.

Everyone felt bad for the boy.

With Natasha's body in the grave, the group worked on filling the hole.

Bonnie and Christa offered Arvo to go back inside.

Arvo sent Christa a glare. "Your fault! You shoot Natasha!"

"I had to…" Christa said. "She would've killed my girl…"

"You kill Natasha!" Arvo exclaimed. "You're not good people!"

Christa gave him a sympathetic look. "I didn't want to do that."

"You lie! You kill my sister!" Arvo snapped.

"Arvo, your sister was bit. Christa only protected Clementine…" Bonnie said.

"Clementine… The little girl…" Arvo muttered.

"Yes… She was trying to protect Clementine." Bonnie said.

Arvo gave no response, he just sent Christa another glare before walking into the church.

Christa didn't know what to think. She felt that she shouldn't trust Arvo.

Christa and Bonnie followed Arvo into the church as the men continued to fill Natasha's grave.

Christa watched as Arvo went to sit alone. She could only wonder what was going through the boy's head. Christa pulled her attention away from him and headed over to check on Clementine. She noticed Kenny teaching the girls how to play a card game.

Carlos was looking through a journal, Christa had seen him write in that multiple times.

"What's in that book…?" Christa asked.

Carlos didn't respond for a while. He then sighed and looked to her. "I've been using it to keep track on Clementine's health."

"Oh?" Christa asked.

"I've written things about her mental and physical health… About her pregnancy…" Carlos said.

"I see… Anything new in there?" Christa asked.

"Not right now…" Carlos said, keeping his response short.

"Okay then…" Christa figured he didn't feel like talking now. She went over to the others and asked. "Everyone alright?"

"Yeah. Kenny was just teaching the girls to play Spades." Sarita said.

"I don't think I could ever get Duck to sit still long enough to play a card game." Kenny said. "Hell, getting that kid to sit through a board game was hard enough."

"Omid couldn't sit through a board game either. He would always joke that he couldn't play caused he didn't want to get too "bored"." Christa said.

Kenny smirked at that. "Really?"

"Yeah. I swear Omid found humor in everything." Christa said. "And as much as his bad jokes could annoy me, I have to admit he always knew how to break the ice."

"Yeah… I'd do anything to see Duck again…" Kenny sighed.

"Who's Duck?" Becca asked, raising a brow. She had heard the name Omid mentioned a few times before. She didn't want to pry, but the name Duck was such a strange one, she had to ask.

Silence fell for a while.

Kenny frowned and Sarita sent him a concerned look.

"Duck… Duck was Kenny's son…" Clementine said. "He was a friend of mine…"

"Oh… Uhh… Sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Becca said.

Kenny didn't respond.

Christa cleared her throat. "Girls, I think it's time to get some dinner and head to bed. It's been a long day for everyone."

The girls didn't argue.

Becca couldn't help, but feel a bit bad for bringing up Kenny's son. She only felt worse as she thought about how she planned on making fun of the strange name.

Sarita handed off AJ to Kenny and went to help Christa to get dinner ready.

They opened multiple cans of soups, leaving some for men who were still outside filling the grave.

* * *

Within the hour the group managed to finish their meal and head off to bed. Most of the group anyway…

"Where's Luke?" Clementine asked.

"He should be back inside soon." Christa answered.

"I miss him… I wanted to lay with him tonight…" Clementine said.

"Well, maybe you can lay with him tomorrow night." Christa replied.

"I want him now…" Clementine frowned. "He's taking so long…"

"Clem, he's busy. He'll come back soon, alright…"

"But he's always busy…" Clementine said. "I just want him to stay with me…"

"I know…" Christa sighed. "Can't you just lay with me for the night, Clem. You can be with Luke tomorrow…"

"Okay…" Clementine agreed.

"Good." Christa said. She gave the child room to lay down and waited patiently until the girl did so.

Clementine held on to her stuffed animal they lay in silence.

"How are you feeling?" Christa asked.

"I'm fine right now…" Clementine said.

"How's your arm?" Christa questioned.

"It hurts a little bit." Clementine said. "I'm sorry I did that… Are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't exactly mad… I was upset that you hurt yourself. I don't like seeing you hurt, no one does." Christa said.

"I'm sorry. I won't hurt myself anymore." At least not until she had her baby…

"That's good. I know you're having a hard time, but hurting yourself is not the answer." Christa said.

"I know…" Clementine said. "I'll stop because I don't want to hurt my baby…"

"Or yourself." Christa added. "You don't want to hurt yourself, sweetie."

"…Yeah…" Clementine muttered.

"Come on, get some sleep." Christa said.

"Okay…" The child closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Is Carlos angry?"

"Why would he be angry at you?" Christa asked.

"I don't know… I asked him if he wanted to play cards earlier and he got mad at me…" Clementine said.

"What did he say?" Christa asked.

"He just… He said no at first. I asked him again then he yelled at me and said he was busy." Clementine said.

"Hey… Don't worry about him. He's just stressed." Christa said. "Everyone is…"

"…What about Arvo?" Clementine asked.

Christa frowned, not responding.

Clementine noticed her guardian's silence and asked, "Is he mad at me?"

"No, Clem. He's not mad at you." Christa said.

"Are you sure?" Clementine asked.

"I'm sure." Christa said quickly. "Now, get some sleep."

Clementine didn't ask any more questions. The child closed her eyes.

Christa wondered if she should talk to Carlos about getting loud with Clementine. She knew the doctor was extremely stressed and looking after Clementine had to be hard, however she didn't want him making the child feel bad.

Several moments passed before the men had come inside. They immediately went to wash the dirt off their hands. Luke however, made his way over to Christa and Clementine.

Clementine was already fast asleep.

"Hey…" Luke greeted Christa. "How's she doing?"

"She's alright. She asked about you…" Christa said.

"Did she?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. She wanted to lay with you. I told her maybe tomorrow." Christa said.

Luke looked hesitant. "Uh… I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" Christa asked.

"You know how she can get…" Luke said.

"As far as?" Christa inquired, although she had a good idea what he meant.

"I mean the… the touching… the sexual behavior…" Luke said.

"Luke, you act like you're scared of her…" Christa stated.

"I'm not scared of her." Luke replied. "I'm worried about the things she does. And this clinginess makes me nervous too… She was never clingy like this before."

"She also wasn't sexually abused before. You got to keep in mind she's only acting this way because a monster taught her to… She just needs time to understand what's appropriate and what's not." Christa said.

"I know… You're right." Luke sighed.

"We'll figure this out." Christa reassured. "We just got to be patient. She needs time to get better."

Luke gave a nod. "I… I'm gonna go wash up... You good here?"

"I'm fine. I'm going to bed." Christa informed.

Luke gave a nod. "Alright… Goodnight."

"Night…" Christa replied before Luke walked off to clean the dirt off his hands.

* * *

The next morning Clementine felt awful. The child refused to eat or drink anything. She felt too dizzy to get up, but she was so nauseous she couldn't get comfortable laying down.

Christa stayed beside the child the whole morning as the girl tried her best to rest. Clementine hadn't thrown up, but she felt like she would any minute.

"…Make it stop…" Clementine mumbled.

"I don't know what to do, sweetie… Do you want me to get Carlos for you?" Christa asked.

"I want my stomach to stop hurting…" Clementine muttered.

"It will soon. You're going to be okay… I'm going to get Carlos, alright?" Christa told her.

Clementine just nodded, her eyes screwed shut. She clutched as tightly as she could to her teddy bear. She hated feeling like this.

Christa got up and went to get Carlos. It wasn't long before she and the doctor came over.

"What's going on?" Carlos questioned.

Clementine didn't respond. She was in too much pain to speak.

"Clementine, I need you to talk to me." He felt bad for the child, but he had to keep composed. He was a professional afterall.

"…My stomach…" Clementine whispered.

"What's wrong with your stomach?" Carlos asked. He wished he could do something to help. To end the pregnancy…

"It hurts…" Clementine said.

"How does it hurt. Like an ache, or a sharp pain?" Carlos asked.

"…Like… Like…" Clementine tried to figure out how to describe the pain she was feeling. "I don't know…"

"Is it like a cramp?" Christa asked.

"Yeah… I guess… It just hurts…" Clementine mumbled.

"Alright…. Let me take a look." Carlos said.

He spent the next several minutes checking the child. No injuries, no fever, no blood. He concluded that the cramping was most likely nothing to worry about, but he decided it would be best to keep an eye on her.

"Can't you do anything to help her?" Christa asked.

"I can give her more tums, not sure if they'll help…" Carlos said.

"What about a pain reliever?" Christa said.

"I can give her some acetaminophen." Carlos said.

"W-What's that?" Clementine asked.

"Tylenol." Carlos said. "I'll be back."

Carlos walked away, and Christa took a seat beside Clementine, she took of the child's hat and started rubbing the child's hair to comfort her.

"…Where did Luke go?" Clementine questioned.

"He's working on the houses…" Christa said.

"…I thought… I thought you said he'd stay with me today…" Clementine whispered.

"He'll be back later on, Clem…" Christa said.

"But I miss him now…" Clementine replied.

"Why do you miss Luke so much?" Christa asked.

"I… I don't know. I just like being with him… He's nice." Clementine said.

"I see… Well, he's busy right now. He'll be back later…" Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine sighed.

"You just rest. Carlos is going to get your medicine." Christa said.

Clementine nodded, clutching a bit tighter to Promise, while doing her best to ignore the pain she was feeling.

* * *

"How's Clem doing?" Bonnie asked as Kenny came outside to help with the houses.

"Kid's been sick all morning…" Kenny grumbled. He then shot Luke a glare. "Shouldn't you be in there with her? That's your baby!"

"I can't…" Luke said.

"What do you mean you can't?" Kenny asked.

"I just can't, okay! I can't see her like that." Luke said. "It… It makes me anxious…"

"You're anxious? How the hell do you think she feels?!" Kenny spat at him.

"He has a point…" Vince said. "I can only imagine that little girl is terrified."

"Great. Make me feel even guiltier than I already do." Luke huffed.

"I'm not trying to… I'm just saying… Everyone keeps complaining, but Clementine is the one going through this… She has to be scared out of her mind."

Luke frowned. "Yeah… I'm sure she is…"

"Which is exactly why you should be in there with her." Kenny said.

"One minute you don't want me around her, the next you're mad that I'm not with her."

"If I had it my way you'd never see her again. But if that's your baby, you need to get your ass in there and be with her." Kenny said. "Clementine said you wouldn't hurt her… I'm going to take her word for it…"

Luke didn't know how to respond for a moment. "Alright. I'll go. I'll go make sure she's okay."

The others nodded. Luke took a breath and headed back to the church.

When he stepped into the building he was surprised to hear Clementine shout out, "I don't want to!"

Luke looked over to Sarita who was nearby and as her, "What's going on?"

"They're trying to get Clementine to eat something." Sarita explained.

Luke nodded his understanding and went over to see for himself what was happening.

"I'm not going to give you medication on an empty stomach." Carlos said. "Just eat the soup."

"I don't want to eat it!" Clementine exclaimed.

"That is enough!" Carlos snapped causing the child to flinch. "You need to eat this right now!"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Christa said.

"Why shouldn't I? Her tantrums are ridiculous! And all because she doesn't want to eat?!" Carlos said.

"She's sick! Give her a break!" Christa retorted.

"Guys, calm down." Luke cut in.

They stopped and noticed Clementine had her hands over her ears and her eyes clenched shut.

Luke slowly walked over to the child and knelt in front of her. He pried the girl's hands from her ears and waited for her to finally look at him. "Hey Clem."

Clementine gave a small smile and hugged him.

Luke patted the child's back and asked, "What's the matter, kiddo? Why don't you want to eat?"

"I don't feel good. If I eat I'll just throw it up…" Clementine told him as she broke the hug.

"Maybe if you eat just a little bit you'll be fine." Luke said.

Clementine still refused. "I don't want to throw up!"

"You won't, kid." Luke said.

"How do you know?" Clementine asked.

Luke paused for a while. "…I know the baby needs food. And so do you…"

"He's right. You haven't eaten all day. That's not good for the baby…" Christa said.

"I don't have to eat if I'm sick…" Clementine stated.

"Yes, you do." Carlos started massaging his temples. The child was wearing his patience.

"So…I'm going to die soon anyway…" Clementine muttered.

"Stop it. Don't say that." Christa said, looking surprised by Clementine's words.

"Why would you say that?" Luke asked.

"Everyone was saying the baby is going to kill me before…So I figure…" The young girl trailed off, a sad expression on her little face.

"Don't listen to anyone. We have a doctor here and plenty of people to make sure both you and the baby are okay." Christa said.

Clementine didn't look convinced, but she nodded.

"Can you eat little food now?" Christa asked.

Clementine glanced to the bowl of soup Carlos was holding. "I only have to eat a little bit, right?"

"That's right." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine accepted the bowl and started eating.

After she finished off half the bowl, Carlos gave her some Tylenol.

Clementine laid back down, helped lessen her stomach pain slightly. She just hoped that the medicine would kick in soon.

"That shouldn't take too long to take effect." Carlos said as if reading her mind. "You try to rest. Let me know if she needs anything. I'm going to check on Sarah."

"Thank you." Christa said.

Carlos simply nodded before walking away.

"You good here, Clem?" Luke asked.

"…Are you going to leave?" Clementine asked back.

"I got to go help with the houses. We finished cleaning one out already." Luke said.

"Why can't you stay? I don't want you to go…" Clementine said.

"Clem, he has stuff to do…" Christa said.

"But you said he would stay with me today…" Clementine said.

"Maybe later on, when he's not busy. You still need to rest." Christa said.

"I want him to stay…" Clementine said.

"How about I sit with you for a little while then?" Luke offered.

"You sure?" Christa asked him.

"Yeah. I don't mind." Luke said. It was the least he could do, especially since he felt bad that the kid was feeling sick.

He took a seat beside the little girl.

After some time of sitting in silence Clementine gently utter out, "Sing to me?"

Luke hesitated. "Uh... I don't know.

"Please?" Clementine asked.

"You sing Luke?" Christa asked, looking amused.

"I… I used to. No one really sings anymore…" Luke shrugged.

"Please, can you… I like when you sing." Clementine said.

Luke sighed, "Alright, kid. You win. What do you want me to sing?"

Clementine's response was to shrug.

"You don't know?" Luke chuckled before pausing for a moment. "Alright… I think I got a song you'll like."

Clementine waited patiently for him to start singing.

 _Anywhere you are I am near_

 _Anywhere you go I'll be there_

 _Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see_

 _Every single promise I'll keep_

 _'Cause what kind of guy would I be_

 _If I was to leave when you need me most_

 _What are words if you really don't mean them when you say them_

 _What are words if they're only for good times then that's all_

 _When it's love you say them out loud, these words_

 _They never go away_

 _They live on, even when we're gone_

As he sung he could feel little Clementine cuddle closer to him. It didn't bother him. He was starting to get used to the kid's constant snuggling.

He continued his singing until he suddenly felt Clementine rest her head in his lap. His song stopped abruptly when he glanced to the little girl.

The child looked up at him with curious eyes and asked if he was okay.

Luke didn't hear the girl's words. Images flashed through his head of that day in the office and before he knew it, he had shoved the child from his lap.

"Careful!" Christa hissed at him.

Fortunately, he hadn't pushed the girl hard enough to hurt her, but she did get a shock from it.

Luke met the child's eyes for a moment and noticed the fearful look on her little face. He quickly tore his gaze away. "S-Sorry… I.." Luke quickly got to his feet. "I gotta go."

"Go where?" Clementine asked, suddenly looking a bit disappointed.

"Just…out…" Luke said.

Christa raised a brow and inquired, "What's come over you?"

Luke could only shake his head in response. He quickly turned and walked away, leaving the two bewildered.

* * *

For a while things had been going okay. The had a few more new faces join the hardware store. Jane thought things could only get better. The minute she got sick however, her mindset changed.

Over the weeks she had been at Howe's the woman pondered on what could possibly be wrong with her. She ruled out any illness quickly. It wasn't long before realization dawned on her and she felt waves of anxiety wash over her.

This couldn't be happening… She hoped her assumption wasn't true.

"You alright?" Tavia asked.

Jane jumped, startled from the sudden voice. "I'm fine…"

"This place is starting to get back to normal… That's good." Tavia said.

"I don't know… I guess that refers to on what you refer to as normal." Jane replied.

"I mean how things were before. How Bill ran things." Tavia said.

Jane scoffed. "Before or after he raped a child?"

"Look, what he did to that child was wrong, but he did a good job of running this place." Tavia said.

"Carver was out of his mind. I'm not saying he was always that way, who knows who he was before, but after all he's done it's a good thing he's dead." Jane said.

Tavia sighed. "I'm not defending him, but I think he had the right idea on how to run a community. Maybe he should follow some of his ways."

"His ways are what made this place fall apart. We need to go a different route." Jane said.

Tavia shrugged, "Maybe you're right. But I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree."

* * *

Luke headed back to work on the house with the others. He had to keep his focus off of what happened. He didn't know why those flashback came at such random times, but he wished they would stop.

He couldn't help but feel guilty. He wished he hadn't reacted like he did. This is exactly why he didn't trust himself alone with Clementine…

"Damn it…" He muttered. He felt like a horrible person for pushing the kid the way he did.

"You alright, man?" Wyatt brought him out of his thoughts.

"Y-Yeah… Yeah I'm good." Luke said.

"Alright… We're just about done here… We're going to call it a day…" Wyatt said.

"Okay… Sorry I wasn't much help…" Luke said.

"No big deal. The kid needed you." Wyatt said. "Speaking of which, how's she doing?"

"She's with Christa… I'm sure she's fine…" Luke said with a sigh.

"Something happen?" Wyatt asked, noting Luke's glum expression.

"Not really…" Luke muttered.

Luke's expression told another story, but Wyatt didn't push. "If you say so…" Wyatt said.

Luke simply nodded in response.

They headed back to the church and Kenny quickly asked how Clementine was doing. Luke sighed in relief when he heard Sarita say the child was asleep.

Luke didn't want to seem like he was avoiding the little girl, but he knew that was exactly what he was doing.

* * *

When her period hadn't come the first few days Jane wasn't worried. An irregular period wasn't anything new to her, but the more time that had went by with the time she had been at Howe's the more worried she felt.

The thought had been gnawing at her mind for a while now, it was only today that she decided to test it.

The idea alone was awful to her… She did not want a baby…

Jane stood in the bathroom, feeling stupid for even thinking of the possibility, she followed the directions on the pregnancy test. She placed the test on the sink and tried to forget about it.

Half an hour passed before she checked the results. She had nothing to worry about, she already knew they'd be negative. No way she was pregnant. She had always been careful. She was careful about everything. That's how she had survived so long.

She picked up the test, glanced at it, then nearly dropped it.

There was a plus. This couldn't be right.

She fumbled for a moment picking up the box and looking over the steps. Surely, she had done something wrong.

She read over the instructions. She had directly followed them. She looked back to the test hoping her eyes had played a trick on her.

No such luck.

Jane shook her head. There had to be a mistake. This was a false positive. The test was defective.

She placed the box on the sink. Maybe if she waited a while longer something would change…

She sat on the closed toilet and waited, her stomach knotting up anxiously. After ten minutes had went by she got up and started pacing as she waited impatiently for the results. When she finally looked at the test again she saw no change.

Her face went pale and her breath caught in her throat.

"This isn't happening... This can't be happening." Jane muttered. But the results were clear as day. "Shit... DAMN IT!"

She angrily tossed the test into the garbage and stormed out the bathroom.

She nearly bumped into Patricia who sent her a concerned look.

"You okay?" Patricia asked.

"I'm fine." Jane said.

"Are you sure? You're not feeling sick again, are you?" Patricia had felt bad for Jane the past few weeks. She had noticed the woman seeming so ill at times.

"No..." Jane said.

"Oh good." Patricia smiled.

However, Jane said, "I'm worse..."

Patricia's smile faded and she said, "We still have plenty of medicine. Maybe an antibiotic will help."

Jane shook her head. "I don't need antibiotics."

"Then what do you-"

"Nothing okay!" Jane snapped, walking past her.

Patricia watched her storm off with a concerned gaze.

* * *

Clementine woke up a few hours later feeling better than she had in the morning. Christa was no longer sitting by her, but Clementine quickly noticed her over by the other adults.

Clementine rubbed sleep out of her eyes and got to her feet. She picked Promise up and went over to see what Sarah and Becca were doing.

Sarah was reading while Becca was folding paper.

"What are you doing?" Clementine asked Becca as she sat beside the two older girls.

"You never heard of origami before?" Becca asked.

"I think I have… My teacher tried to teach us to make stuff out of paper, but it was so much folding, I couldn't do it when I was little." Clementine said.

"I can teach you." Becca said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Sure. You've been pretty boring today anyway." Becca said.

"How?" Clementine asked.

"You've been laying around all day." Becca replied.

"I didn't feel good." Clementine said.

"Do you feel better now?" Sarah asked.

Clementine nodded. "Much better."

"Good." Sarah said.

"Here, I'll teach you how to make something simple first." Becca offered, handing Clementine a piece of paper.

Clementine placed Promise down and accepted the paper. She tried to copy Becca's steps.

Becca glanced up to see how Clementine's progress. As she looked up she notice Arvo was sitting alone on one of the pews, glaring away at her little friend.

Becca raised a brow. "There must be something about you that draws trouble." Becca said.

"Why do you say that?" Clementine asked, looking up from her paper.

"Well… You just are really good at pissing people off." Becca said.

Clementine sighed at that. "I guess I am… People are always getting mad at me…"

"That's not true… The grown-ups get mad at everything." Sarah said.

Clementine frowned. "I think Arvo's mad at me because of what happened with his sister…"

"But… That's not your fault." Sarah said.

"I know…" Clementine said.

"See, that's your problem." Becca said.

"What?" Clementine asked.

"You always worry about what other people think. Why do you care so much?" Becca asked.

"I can't help it…" Clementine said. "I just always feel like I'm doing something wrong."

"I think you put too much on yourself." Becca said.

"Only because other people put so much on me…" Clementine stated.

"Stop stressing so much." Becca said. "It's bad for the baby."

"I'm not trying to…" Clementine responded.

"Well… Did you ever manage to get that needle?" Becca changed the subject.

"No… I tried… kind of." Clementine said.

"So, in other words, you didn't give much effort." Becca said.

Clementine shrugged. "I didn't want to get caught."

"Damn… We need to come up with a plan." Becca mumbled.

"We could always just ask Russell or Bonnie to get it." Sarah said.

"Actually, that may work." Becca said before smirking. "Glad I came up with it."

Sarah's face fell. "I came up with it…"

"She's joking, Sarah." Clementine said.

* * *

 _Pregnant…_ This couldn't be right. She couldn't be pregnant.

She didn't want the burden of a child. She didn't want a baby keeping her up all night. She didn't want to hear the kid cry or change diapers.

All she could think of was how much a baby would inconvenience her, how awful it would be to have one.

Jane sighed, she could only think of one thing to do…

She couldn't raise a kid. After all the heartaches she experienced in the past she didn't want to chance it. She had to get rid of it.

Some way, some how. She had to.

* * *

"Look what I got!" Becca

"The needle?" Clementine noted. "How'd you get it?"

"Russell gave it to us." Sarah said.

Becca rolled her eyes. "I could've got it without Russell's help."

"Really?" Clementine asked. "Then why didn't you?"

"Maybe I didn't feel like it." Becca huffed. "It doesn't matter. Let's just find out if that little monster is a boy or a girl."

"…Okay then…" Clementine said. She didn't trust that this would work.

Becca raised the needle and thread. "Okay, I'm going to dangle this over your palm."

"Don't poke me with it." Clementine said as she hesitantly held her hand.

"I might poke you on purpose now." Becca said in a teasing tone.

"Don't you dare!" Clementine nearly pulled her hand back, but Becca stopped her.

"Relax, I'm just kidding." Becca said.

"Knowing you, you'd probably really do it." Clementine said.

"Be happy I'm not poking you with it." Becca said.

Clementine and Sarah watched as Becca held the needle over Clementine's palm and it began rotating in a circle.

After a few moments of silence Sarah asked, "What's that mean?"

"Umm… I don't know…" Becca said.

Clementine raised a brow, "Wait… what?"

"I think it means you're having a boy." Becca said.

"You think?" Clementine said.

"I was like six when I saw it done, okay. I'm going off a vivid memory here." Becca said.

"So, it's a boy?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. I think it's a boy…" Becca said.

"Okay…" Clementine said. She wasn't going to take this seriously. She would wait until her baby was born to know the gender.

"What are you doing here?" Christa approached the three girls.

"We were finding out if Clem's baby was a girl or a boy." Becca said.

"How's that?" Christa asked with an amused look.

"With this." Becca showed her the needle.

Christa furrowed her brows. "Where'd you get that?"

"I have my ways." Becca shrugged.

"Well, hand it over." Christa said.

Becca rolled her eyes but handed the needle to her. "We're done with it anyway."

"Good… We got dinner over there. You girls can go get some." Christa said.

Sarah and Becca complied, Clementine however frowned.

"I'm not hungry." The child said.

"We went over this earlier. You have to eat, Clem…" Christa said.

"I can't… I'll get sick again…" Clementine said.

"Clementine, the baby's not going to get the nutrients it needs if you keep skipping meals." Christa said.

"Okay… I'll eat something." Clementine said.

"Good, and then it's back to bed." Christa said.

"I'm not tired anymore. I slept all day…" Clementine said.

"You need your rest, Clem." Christa said.

"I've had plenty…" Clementine argued.

"And plenty more will do you good." Christa replied.

"I want to see AJ." Clementine said.

"The baby… he's with Sarita and Kenny." Christa said.

"Can I see him?"

"Sure. As long as you eat dinner." Christa said. She knew Kenny and Sarita would keep an eye on the girl.

"Okay. Don't you want to see him with me?" Clementine asked.

"I've seen him…" She didn't want to see the baby right now. Everytime she looked at the child she was reminded of the baby she loss. That pain was always there, but she didn't want to think about it… About her little girl… "You go ahead, Clem…"

"Okay." Clementine said before walking off.

Christa sat down with a sigh.

* * *

Emotions were running high as Jane stood in the storage room gripping a knife with shaky hands.

She could feel her heart pounding as she told herself this had to be done.

She didn't want a baby. She couldn't have a baby…

Besides, even if she did want it she figured it would probably die anyway. There was no doctor here to deliver it. Killing it was the best option.

She held the knife tighter and slowly inched it closer and closer to her stomach. She tried to plunge it in, but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Her hands were shaking uncontrollable, she tried to steady them, but she couldn't.

With a breath, shake dropped the knife to the floor. Jane took a seat as she tried to let her heartbeat slow to normal.

Suddenly she heard a knock at the door along with Patricia's voice. "Jane? You in there?"

Jane let out a sigh in response. She got up and opened the door. "Hey…"

"Hey." Patricia said back. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Patricia was quiet for a moment then said. "I found the box..."

Jane's eyes widened, she must have forgotten to throw the box away. Still, she played dumb. "What box?"

"For the pregnancy test..." Patricia said.

Jane opened her mouth to speak but could say nothing. She mentally cursed, knowing there was no point in hiding it. "So…?"

"Are you pregnant?" Patricia asked.

"What?"

"Did the test say you're pregnant?" Patricia inquired.

"No..." Jane lied. "Of course not."

"Jane... I won't tell anyone." Patricia reassured. "Are you?"

Jane let out a sigh. "Yeah..." She confirmed.

"You… You are?"

"I am… I'm pregnant..." Jane said.

* * *

"Looks like he finished the whole bottle." Clementine noted before placing the baby bottle she was holding down.

"That's good. He really likes you, Clem." Sarita said.

"I'm glad." Clementine said.

"Here, I'll take him." Sarita offered.

Clementine handed the baby over and Sarita began to burp the child.

"He's getting kind of heavy." Clementine said.

"That's just 'cause your arms aren't strong enough to hold him." Kenny said.

"I can hold him. He's not that heavy. He's just growing up fast." Clementine said. "Anyway, I like taking care of AJ, he's cute."

"Yeah, he is." Sarita smiled.

"I hope my baby is best friends with AJ." Clementine said.

Kenny was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I'm sure they will be…"

"Becca thinks it's a boy." Clementine said.

"A boy?" Sarita echoed.

"Yeah. I don't know if I believe her though." Clementine told them.

"What do you want the baby to be?" Sarita asked.

"I don't mind either way. I just want it to be safe and healthy. And most important, I don't want it to go through anything I went through." Clementine said.

"You don't have to worry about that, darlin'." Kenny said. "You and the baby are going to be just fine. We'll make sure of that."

"Okay… I hope so." Clementine said. "I don't really care what happens to me, as long as my baby is okay."

"Don't say that, sweetie. You need to start caring about yourself." Sarita said.

"She's right, Clem. What happened to you was awful and it shouldn't have happened." Kenny said.

"It's okay." Clementine said.

"No, it's not. It's NOT okay." Kenny said. "Nothing that happened at that place is okay."

"I didn't understand when it was happening, but I'm trying to make sense of it now…" Clementine suddenly said.

"Make sense of what, Clem?" Sarita asked.

"Why me…? I keep wondering if I did something wrong…" Clementine said.

"You didn't, Clem. Nothing that happened was your fault. You should never think that it was." Kenny said. "And I'm sorry for ever making you feel like it was. I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

"Kenny, I already forgave you." The child replied.

"But I can't forgive myself. I should've done something. If I had shot that asshole at this lodge, this shit wouldn't have happened." Kenny said.

"He's dead now. He can't hurt me anymore. And Troy is…. Probably dead too." Clementine said.

"That's right, Clementine. You're safe now." Sarita said.

"No one should've hurt you in the first place. And we… I should've done better." Kenny said. "I should've protected you. I'm so sorry, darlin'."

"It's not your fault, Kenny. Bad stuff happens to everyone." Clementine shrugged.

Kenny continued, "If… If I paid more attention-"

"Stop it." Clementine interrupted him. "They were sick, they're to blame, not you."

"I wasn't there for you, Clem, not like I should've been." Kenny said.

"You're here now. That's what matters. I need you." Clementine said.

Kenny didn't respond. Clementine had such a kind heart.

He felt tears brim in his eyes as the little angel comforted him. His heart clenched as the child told him, "it's okay" and, "everything will be alright". This should be the other way around. He should be comforting her when she was upset. He wasn't the victim here, she was. She was the one who had been abused countless times.

Kenny wrapped his arms around the young girl.

"Kenny?" Clementine glanced up to him.

"I swear on my life, I'll never let anyone hurt you again." Kenny said to her.

Clementine had heard that too many times to count. Still she asked in a quiet voice, "Promise?"

"I promise, darlin'." Kenny said.

"Thank you…" Clementine said.

"I think Clem needs to rest. It's getting late." Sarita said.

Kenny broke the hug and said, "Yeah. You're right."

"Do I have to?" Clementine asked.

"Yes, Clem. It's bedtime." Kenny said.

"Okay…" Clementine said, resisting the urge to pout.

"You going to go lay with Christa?" Kenny asked.

Clementine shook her head. "Can't I lay here with you?"

"If you want to, darlin'." Kenny said.

"I do." Clementine said.

Kenny nodded. "Okay, Clem."

The two adults gave the child a spot to lay. It wasn't long before the young girl was fast asleep.

"Somedays, I can't stand seeing her like this…" Kenny muttered.

"Like what?" Sarita asked.

"Vulnerable… Being reminded that she's just a little kid. It's easy to forget, you know." Kenny said.

Sarita had to agree.

"Maybe that's what it was at Howe's … I don't know… Confusion, denial…? I didn't want to believe that stuff could be happening to Clementine." Kenny said. "Clem's tough. She's always been tough. She takes care of herself better than most people I've seen."

"Even the toughest people go through hard times." Sarita replied.

"I know. I've watched this poor kid go from weak to capable then strong to broken…" Kenny said.

"Despite what she's been through, she carries herself better than most people." Sarita said.

"Yeah, I think her maturity makes it so easy for people to forget she's just a kid…"

"What about now?" Sarita asked. "She looks so innocent right now. I can't believe someone would want to steal that innocence away."

"There's a lot of shitty people in this world. More than we know…" Kenny said. "Sometimes I feel so guilty, it's hard to look at her. What do you see when you look at her?"

"I see Clementine. A little girl with a big heart." Sarita replied.

"She's not just Clementine. Not anymore… Everytime I look at her I see a… different little girl." Kenny muttered.

"Maybe you're seeing wrong…" Sarita said. "She's still sweet little Clementine."

"I see a little girl who's suffered beyond what I thought was imaginable…" Kenny said. "I wonder what Lee would think. He did so much for my family and I failed his girl."

"She loves you, Kenny. We've all made mistakes, but we can't hold onto that. That little girl needs you now." Sarita said.

"I'm going to make sure she's okay. Nothing will happen as long as I can help it." Kenny said.

"We'll all make sure she's okay." Sarita said. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

"Okay, yeah…" Kenny said. He laid down before sighing. "You know what bothers me the most?"

"What?"

"When I took the radio, I thought I was keeping her safe. Come to find out, that guy was touching on her all along. I should've known…" Kenny said.

"No one really knew." Sarita said.

"Maybe that's why I can't forgive myself… I wish I could change the way I feel."

Sarita sent him a sad look and mumbled out, "Me too…"

* * *

Luke couldn't resist the urge to look through the baby clothes he had brought for their last run. He had grabbed more clothes than he thought a new baby would most likely need, but he wouldn't know. He had never been a father before.

He started going through the bag of clothes, laying them out as he did. He hadn't really got a good look when he was busy stuffing the clothes into the bag.

He looked over all the onesies, shirts, and pullovers. It was definitely more than enough for the baby.

"Luke, just the person I wanted to see."

Luke didn't even look up as Bonnie approached a took a seat beside him.

"Is that stuff for the baby?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. Since we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, I just got whatever I could…" Luke said.

"Those are some cute outfits." Bonnie said.

"I'm sure there's enough stuff in here for AJ too, some of this is too big for a newborn…" Luke said.

"Yeah. Baby clothes will come in handy." Bonnie said.

"Right… So… did you need something?" Luke asked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you." Bonnie said.

Luke finally looked to her. "Okay. What about?"

Bonnie hesitated before speaking again. "I… I know the whole Howe's experience drew a huge wedge between us, but I want things to be good again. I don't want any bad blood between us."

"It didn't just draw a wedge. What happened at Howe's destroyed trust, and destroyed lives." Luke said.

"I know… I just wanted to apologize of my part, for everything. I always knew something wasn't right… I just didn't want to think that Bill could be… that bad. He wasn't always like that." Bonnie said.

"I'm just glad we're out of that place now, and Bill is rotting like he should be…" Luke said.

"If I could make up for everything, I would, but all I can do is say I'm so sorry. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I don't think I'll ever forgive myself… I just want to put hard feelings behind us." Bonnie said.

"…So do I." Luke said.

"Really?"

"Really. Life's too short to hold grudges… We all got things we regret." Luke said. "I got to focus on the future now, not the past…"

"Yeah… I can't believe you're going to be a father…" Bonnie said.

Luke frowned, it was hard to think about. Let alone believe it… "I can't believe it myself…"

"How's Clem?" Bonnie asked.

"I uh… I don't know." Luke said honestly.

"Did something happen?" Bonnie asked.

"I… I pushed her earlier… She's not hurt or anything, but I feel like a piece of shit for it." Luke told her.

"Why?"

"She…" He paused. "I just did, okay? I didn't mean to."

"Oh…" Bonnie muttered. "I guess there's just been a lot going on."

"Yeah… You could say that…" Luke said.

"Well… If you ever need a drink, I'm your go to girl." Bonnie said.

"You have alcohol?" Luke asked.

"You guys said stock up on important stuff." Bonnie said.

Luke smirked at that. "True."

"I like to hold onto it for certain occasions." Bonnie said.

"Certain occasions, like what?"

"Whenever people are under a lotta stress." Bonnie said.

"That's like everyday. It's hard not to stress." Luke said. "You know… I think I'll take you up on your offer."

And he did. With the children asleep, several of the adults, with the exception of Kenny, Sarita, Christa, and Carlos, gathered around to get a drink.

"You drinking tonight, Russell?" Bonnie asked.

"Nah." Russell said. "I don't drink. I just figured I'd sit with you guys for a while."

"You bored or something?" Vince asked.

"Pretty much." Russell shrugged.

"You know, I've heard of drinking wine in a church, but not rum…" Wyatt said.

"After everything we've been through, Lord knows most of us need a drink." Mike said.

"You could say that again." Christa said walking over to join the group.

"Where's Clem?" Luke asked.

"She's over there with Kenny and Sarita." Christa said. "…Mind if I have a drink?"

"Of course not." Bonnie handed her the bottle. "You didn't seem big on drinking last time."

"I'm not…. But right now, I think I could use one…" Anything to take her mind of her baby and Omid… Christa took a swing of the rum before offering it back to Bonnie would took it."

"Hey, let me get that bottle." Mike said, glancing over to where Arvo was sitting alone.

Christa followed his gaze. There was something about Arvo that made her wary. She didn't trust him one bit.

"You going to give it to the kid?" Vince asked as Bonnie gave Mike the liquor.

"He could use it as much as us…" Mike said.

"Okay then." Vince shrugged.

Mike walked over to where Arvo was sitting and greeted the boy with a, "Hey."

Arvo didn't even look up.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Mike said.

Still no response.

"Want a drink?" Mike asked.

Arvo finally looked to him. His gaze trailed to the bottle then he shook his head. "Where is little girl?"

Mike arched a brow. "Little girl?"

"Clementine. Where is Clementine?" Arvo asked.

"She's asleep. Over there with Kenny and Sarita." Mike said.

"Kenny…" Arvo grumbled before asking, "Clementine is asleep?"

"Yeah. Why?" Mike asked.

Arvo didn't answer his question.

Mike furrowed his brows in confusion. "Okay then… You good here?"

"Good?"

"Are you okay?" Mike rephrased.

"…Yes." Arvo said.

"Alright. If you wanna sit with us, feel free." Mike offered.

"…Thank you." Arvo said.

Mike nodded and returned to the others. Arvo never came over to join them.

* * *

When morning came, it was back to work on the houses.

Clementine understood that everyone was busy, but part of her felt as if Luke used the excuse of working on the houses to avoid her. He wasn't completely ignoring her, but he acted like he didn't want to be around her.

Clementine couldn't help but feel as if she had done something wrong.

"Christa…"

"Yeah, Clem?" The woman said.

"Did I… do something naughty?" Clementine asked her guardian.

"Like what?" Christa asked back.

"Like anything?" Clementine said.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong." Christa said.

"Then why is Luke being so… I don't know… distant?" Clementine questioned.

Christa paused, she noticed that too. "It's not you, sweetie. He just has a lot on his mind."

"Okay… I hope he's not mad at me." Clementine said.

"He's not." Christa said. "Tell you what, I'll go talk to him."

"But what if it makes it worse?" Clementine asked.

"It won't. Don't worry." Christa said.

"Okay…"

* * *

"I didn't want to seem noisy yesterday, but I wanted to ask… Who is the father?" Patricia asked. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Some guy named Luke… Him and his group came around a while ago, looking for supplies." Jane responded.

"Oh…" Patricia said. "You mean the group that talked about the child being sexually abused?"

"Yeah… That group."

"And the person that abused her… He's dead, right?" Patricia asked.

"Carver's dead… Troy is, who knows where." Jane said.

"You mean two people abused her?" Patricia inquired with wide eyes.

"Yeah…" Jane confirmed.

"Oh my God…" Patricia mumbled. "Maybe Randy was right…"

"About what?" Jane asked.

"About leaving…" Patricia said.

"Randy wants to leave?" Jane wasn't exactly surprised to hear that. Randy and Tavia were constantly butting head due to both of their "take charge" nature.

"He... doesn't think things are going to work out here." Patricia said.

"I can't blame him for feeling that way." Jane said.

"Then maybe you can come with us?" Patricia suggested.

"What?"

"Come with us. We'll find somewhere safe, for all of us." Patricia urged.

Jane shook her head. "No… No, I can't."

"Do you really want your baby to be raised here?" Patricia asked. "This isn't the safest place…"

"Who says I'm having the baby?" Jane asked.

Patricia looked surprised. "You don't want the baby?"

"Why would I? Kids suck the life out of you. I don't want that." Jane said.

"I have to disagree. I personally can't have children, but adopting Gill was the best decision I've ever made." Patricia said.

"I don't want a kid, period." Jane replied.

Patricia frowned and tried to think of something to say.

"What if you come with us and Randy and I look after the baby when it's born?" Patricia offered.

"You'd do that?" Jane asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't mind raising another child, and I'm sure Gill would love a sibling." Patricia said.

"I… don't know."

"You'd rather kill it?" Patricia asked. She felt ashamed for calling Jane's baby an "it".

"That's my best option if I don't want a baby." Jane said.

"What did the little girl do…?" Patricia suddenly asked.

Jane was taken aback by the question and said, "What?"

"Randy told me the group that came here mentioned a pregnant child… You were with that group at some point, right?" Patricia said.

"Why does that matter?" Jane demanded coldly.

"I… I was just curious on what the child decided. I'm sure she was scared out of her mind when she found out she was pregnant."

"She was, but she wanted to keep it. I tried to convince her otherwise. That baby is going to kill her." Jane said.

Patricia gasped at that. "You don't know that."

"Clem is small. No way she's going to be able to birth a baby…" Jane said. "She should've listened to me…"

"She might be making the right choice. As sad as it is that she's pregnant, that baby did nothing to deserve to die. And neither did your baby." It was never Patricia's intention to shame Jane out of making a poor choice, but she hoped the woman would take the bait and decide against killing her child.

"Clem's baby is probably going to die anyway." Jane said. "And sadly enough, Clementine might too."

Patricia was horrified by the statement. "Jane!"

"What?"

"Don't say that." Patricia said as if scolding a child.

Jane huffed and shook her head. "Regardless, I'm not Clementine. I'm not going to willingly suffer through a pregnancy for nine months for a baby I never wanted in the first place."

"Is there anything I can say to change your mind…?" Patricia asked.

Jane looked her straight in the eyes and simply said. "No."

* * *

With Sarita and Carlos keeping an eye on the girls, Christa headed out to find Luke. It didn't take long. She approached him and gave him a tap on the shoulder to get his attention. "Luke."

Luke turned to her. "Hey. What's up?"

Christa's response was to beckon him outside.

Luke sighed and followed.

"…Houses are coming along well." Christa noted.

"Yeah. Things are moving quicker than I thought." Luke said. "Did you need something?"

"I need to talk to you." Christa said.

"About?" Luke asked.

"I think you have a good idea…" Christa replied.

"Clem?"

"Yeah." Christa said. "Why are you avoiding her?"

"I can't help it. It's hard to be around her." Luke said.

"Why? Just talk to her." Christa said.

"I can't I don't know what to say." Luke replied.

"She won't bite, just talk to her." Christa said.

"I can't." Luke said. "I doubt she even wants to talk to me."

"She does. And that's why you need to talk to her." Christa said.

"And say what?" Luke asked.

"For starters, you can tell her why it's been hard to be around her lately…" Christa said.

"You don't think she'll take it the wrong way?" Luke asked.

"She'll understand. She's a smart kid."

"Alright… I'll try." Luke said.

* * *

"I'm starting to think you were right…" Patricia muttered as she sat beside her husband.

"About what?" Randy inquired.

"About leaving." Patricia said. "I don't feel like this place is what it's cracked up to be..."

"Glad you're seeing that now." Randy said. "After hearing what happened to that little girl here… I don't know if I want to stay any longer."

"So, what should we do?" Patricia asked.

"I think we should leave… tonight…" Randy said.

"You don't think that's too soon? What about supplies, we don't have any…" Patricia said.

"We'll get some." Randy said.

"From where?" Patricia asked.

Randy looked to her and she understood what his gaze was saying.

"From here?" Patricia's eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "You know that Tavia would never allow that."

"Who said we're going to ask?" Randy replied.

"You want to steal it?" Patricia nearly gasped.

"What other choice do we have?" Randy said. "We can't stay here. We're going to have to take what we need and go."

Patricia lowered her head for a moment before nodded. "Okay… You're right."

"Good. Tell Gill we're leaving tonight." Randy said.

Patricia nodded in response. This wasn't their best choice, but liked their odds out there better than in here.

* * *

To say Luke was hesitant to talk to Clementine would have been an understatement.

Luke almost felt nervous to talk to the child. He knew he would have to eventually. He figured it was now or never.

The girl seemed so innocent playing with her teddy bear. Luke felt stupid that he was so anxious around her.

"Hey, Clem…" Luke said as he took a seat beside the young girl.

"Hey…" Clementine muttered.

"Look, kid… Sorry that I haven't had too much time to spend with you lately."

"You have… You just don't want to spend time with me…" Clementine said.

"That's not true. I'd love to spend time with you." Luke said. "How about I make it up to you."

"How?" Clementine asked.

"How about I take you somewhere special?" Luke said.

"Like a date?" Was the child's response.

Luke was shocked by the question. He paused for a moment before saying, "Clem… you… you can't joke like that."

"Who says I'm joking?" Clementine said.

Luke looked at the child's face and noticed she was serious. "Uh, Clem… You realize you're a child, right?"

Clementine shook her head. "I'm not a kid. Carver made me into a woman."

Luke frowned at that. "You are a kid, Clem. This isn't a date. I'm going to take you somewhere nice tomorrow morning, as a friend."

"…Okay."

"Good." Luke said.

* * *

When night fell Randy and Patricia got ready to head out.

"Gill, baby. Time to get up." Patricia shook her son.

Gill groaned as he was roused from his sleep. "What's going on, mom?"

"We're just going." Patricia said. "Come on."

"Going? Where are we going?" Gill's asked, looking confused. It was late into the night, he didn't understand why he parents were waking him.

"No time for question, son. We gotta get a move on." Randy said.

Patricia helped her son to his feet and the two followed Randy to one of the stockrooms.

"Grab as much as you can." Randy whispered to Patricia.

"You sure?" Patricia asked.

"We need this stuff." Randy said.

"What's happening? Why are we taking supplies?" Gill questioned.

"Because we need this stuff, son. We can't stay here any longer." Randy said to the boy.

"Why not?" Gill asked.

"It's not safe." Randy said.

"It seems okay…" Gill said. "Did something happen?"

Randy shook his head. "We gotta go."

Gill wanted to ask more questions, but his parents were giving him vague answers. He stayed silent as he watched them stock up on supplies, until Randy utter a, "Let's go."

Gill followed his parents without protest. He didn't want to leave, but if they said this place wasn't safe anymore he believed them.

* * *

The next morning with the go ahead from Christa, Luke ended up taking the child to a park on the other side of town. It wasn't much, just a simple swing set, some monkey bars, and a slide. It was an average little playground.

At first Clementine didn't want to play, but eventually the child asked in a small and shy voice if Luke would push her on the swing.

Luke agreed.

"I don't get it…" Clementine said.

"Get what?" Luke asked.

"First you ignore me, then you're nice to me like nothing ever happened." Clementine said.

"I don't mean to ignore you, Clem."

"Then why do you?" Clementine asked.

"It's… complicated." Luke sighed.

"What is?" Clementine questioned.

When Luke didn't answer Clementine asked, "Is it because of me? What did I do?"

"Well… sometimes… you do things that are-"

"Inappropriate?" Clementine finished for him.

"Yeah." Luke said.

"What kind of things?" Clementine pried.

"I think you know what I'm talking about, Clem..." Luke said.

"I want to hear you say it." Clementine said.

Luke stopped pushing her. "No. I'm not going to say it."

"Why not?" Clementine inquired. "We've already made "It" together."

Luke's eyes widened at how blunt the child's words were as she said them. "That's enough, Clem." He said sternly.

"But it's true." Clementine said.

"I think we should head back." Luke said as he grabbed the chains of the swingset to stop the movement of the swing.

Clementine's face fell. "Aww… But I wanted to stay a little longer."

"Clem…"

"Please? Can't I just go down the slide, just once?" Clementine asked.

"…Sure, kid." It wasn't everyday she got to be a kid. He couldn't say no to such an innocent request.

Clementine smiled and got up from the swing. She made her way over to the sliding board and climbed up the playset to go down the slide.

Luke waited patiently as the child made her way down the slide.

When Clementine got to the bottom of the slide she noticed something at her feet. A doll... It was a nude Barbie doll. The child picked the doll up and looked it over. A dark look came over her face.

"What do you got there?" Luke asked.

Clementine gave no response.

"You going to play with that? Maybe we can clean it up, like Promise…" Luke suggested.

Clementine answered his question by promptly ripping the doll's head off.

Luke watched, feeling disturbed as the child started ripping the dolls limps off. She then threw the mutilated toy on the ground and stamp on its head.

Once she was done she turned to Luke and simply said, "I'm ready to go back now."

Luke didn't know how to react. He gave a nod, not able to speak after what he just witnessed. He felt the little girl take his hand and he just started walking with her.

He'd talk to Christa and Carlos about this, he was sure it wasn't normal.

* * *

Jane now could understand what Clementine meant when she said killing a child wasn't easy, even if the fetus wasn't able to feel yet…

She spent all of last night trying to think of solutions. Maybe she should take Patricia up on the offer to raise her kid? Jane had no clue what to do when it came to babies, but something in her told her that wasn't fair. She couldn't just give her baby up…

She didn't know what to do. She wouldn't be able to raise a baby on her own. Nor did she want her kid growing up without a father. She wondered if she should leave and hope to be lucky enough to find her old group, she was sure Luke would help her with the baby… His baby.

However, she also knew Tavia wouldn't be happy if she told her she planned on leaving.

Jane took a deep breath as she approached the office Tavia was in... The same office Carver had abused little Clementine in. She didn't understand how Tavia could sit in there everyday, knowing what had occurred in that room.

Jane shook the thought away and knocked on the door. She could hear voices inside and recognized Hank and Tavia's immediately. Getting no response after knocking, Jane tried the door. It was unlocked. She opened it and stepped inside.

"Tavia?" Jane called.

"I can't believe this…" Tavia grumbled. "This is bullshit."

"What's going on?" Jane asked.

"You didn't hear?" Hank asked her.

"Hear what?" Jane questioned.

"Randy and his family took off last night." Hank said.

Jane's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's not all. They took more than half our supplies." Tavia huffed.

"Shit… What now?" Jane asked.

"We go after them. That's what." Tavia said, picking up a gun and loading it.


	17. Chapter 17

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help._**

* * *

Jane tried to conceal her look of horror as Tavia started loading yet another gun and handed it to Hank.

Hank hesitated to take it. "Tavia, you can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious." Tavia said. "They stole from us. Now they're going to suffer the consequences."

Hank sighed and took the gun.

"This is crazy." Jane said. It was like deja vu. Like the entire situation with Carver all over again.

"What's crazy is that they were bold enough to take from us and think we weren't going to retaliate."

Jane frowned at Tavia's words. Jane couldn't help but think that Randy and Patricia had made a big mistake, if they got caught things wouldn't be good. Tavia had enough "guards" that the family was severely outnumbered. "What are you going to do if you find them?"

"I'll give them an ultimatum. They either come back and work off the supplies they stole, or they die." Tavia said.

"You can't just kill them. They have a kid." Jane said.

"And?" Was Tavia's response.

"You're willing to kill a child?" Jane asked.

"Children are a liability anyway." Tavia replied.

Tavia's words bothered Jane. Despite thinking that her baby was a burden herself, hearing someone else say something like that was irritating.

"This is ridiculous." Jane said. "I don't want any part of it."

"Fine by me. You can stay here and hold down the fort." Tavia shrugged.

Jane didn't respond. She only hoped Randy and Patricia were far enough away by now that they wouldn't be found. Patricia was someone Jane had actually considered a friend, she didn't want anything bad to happen to the woman.

"Let's go." Tavia said to Hank.

Hank gave a nod.

The two left the office, leaving Jane feeling helpless.

Jane just couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen and she didn't want any part of it. She needed to get out of this place.

* * *

When they got back into the church Luke was still surprised by what had happened at the playground.

Little Clementine only shocked him further when she thanked him for the "date" that he had taken her on.

"I already told you Clem, it wasn't a date." Luke said.

"It felt like a date." Clementine giggled.

"How would you know? You're too young to have ever been on a date in your life." Luke said.

"Well… It was just the two of us. And we held hands." Clementine said.

"Clem…. Let me break this down easy for you to understand." Luke said. "I don't date kids."

"I'm not a kid." Clementine said.

"Yes, you are, Clem!" Luke said. "You're a kid!"

"I am not! We fucked together! We play the sex game! Why don't you like me?" Clementine inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Clem, look, I do like you. I just don't like you like that. You're a kid!" Luke said. "Even if you don't realize it, you are."

"But…" Clementine frowned. "But I like you… I can make you happy!"

"Happy?" Luke said. "Happy how?"

"With my hands… or with my mouth." Clementine said.

"Clem… That… That's inappropriate! Don't you ever let me hear you say that again!" Luke said in a stern tone.

Clementine jumped slightly as the man raised his voice. "I… I'm sorry."

Luke sighed. "No…I'm sorry, Clem… You just… Can't talk like that, okay?"

"Y-Yeah… Okay…" Clementine said.

"Good… Go… Go play with your friends, okay…"

"…Okay…" Clementine said before walking off.

Luke sighed and took a seat. He ran his hands through his hair. Clementine's clinginess was bothering him before, but it was only getting worse now… And her obvious crush on him wasn't helping him feel any more comfortable.

He didn't know what to do…

Luke didn't know how long he sat there before he decided to get up and let the others know he was back.

He headed over to the group and greeted them.

"Everything alright?" Christa asked.

"Uh… Kind of." Luke said.

"What happened?" Christa asked. "We heard you raise your voice over there.

"Umm… Can I talk to you and Carlos, alone?" Luke questioned. "Please?"

Carlos looked over to him then nodded. "Sure..."

"Why do y'all need to talk alone?" Kenny inquired. "Whatever you have to say, say it in front of us."

"That's not going to happen." Luke said with a sigh.

"And why the hell not?" Kenny asked.

"I don't want to talk to you." Luke simply said. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your crap right now."

"What? You trying to start something with me?" Kenny grumbled.

"I'm not. I'm trying to talk to Christa and Carlos, but you want to butt in, like always." Luke said.

"Why are you being so secretive?" Kenny demanded. "What's all this about?"

"Kenny, just let them go." Sarita said. "We don't need an argument."

Kenny huffed. "Fine…"

Luke sighed in relief.

Christa and Carlos stood and the followed Luke to the back of the church so they could talk.

"What's wrong?" Christa asked once they were out of earshot of the others. "Is everything okay?"

"No… Not really." Luke said.

"Something happen?" Carlos questioned.

"Pretty much… Doesn't it always?" Luke sighed.

"With Clem?" Christa asked. "What did she do?"

"It's not easy to talk about. She's been through a lot and I try to understand why she does certain things… I try to be patient..." Luke said, his speech slowed. He trying to find the right words. "Clementine has been inappropriate lately, and I'm starting to get concerned."

"Inappropriate in what way?" Carlos asked.

Luke paused before saying, "She's been saying inappropriate things…"

"Like?" Christa urged him to explain.

"She uh…. I took her to the park and she keeps calling it a date…" Luke said.

Carlos furrowed his brows at that.

"I thought she was joking, but she's completely serious." Luke added.

"I think Clementine is confused about what happened between you two. She may have an emotional attachment, or even a small crush on you. But she is equating the feelings to something else." Carlos said.

"So, what should I do about it?" Luke asked.

"Just don't feed into her. The attention is only going to encourage her behavior." Carlos said.

"I can't just ignore her…" Luke said.

"I'm not saying to ignore her. Just don't pay mind to any of the inappropriate remarks she makes. She'll eventually stop, this is a phase she's going through." Carlos replied.

"I hope so." Luke said.

"This will pass. Don't worry. With what she's been through, it's expected for her to act out, but eventually she'll learn right from wrong." Carlos said.

"That's not all… She found this doll…"

"And?" Carlos waited for him to continue.

"She basically mutilated it." Luke said.

Christa and Carlos didn't respond for a while.

"Luke…" Christa said. "That's not exactly surprising when it comes to her…"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Sometimes children don't know how to express themselves verbally… so they do it in other ways." Christa said.

"Abused children especially tend to act out in manners that can at times be… disturbing. However, it's normal and it can be a good way for Clementine to release any pent-up emotions." Carlos added.

"By destroying dolls?" Luke inquired.

"It's just a doll, Luke." Christa said.

"A doll today, but what tomorrow? You know as well as I do that this can escalate." Luke stated.

"She hasn't acted violently towards people. She gets along with Sarah and, for the most part, Becca. I don't think it's going to escalate." Christa said.

Luke opened his mouth to say something, but before he could they heard Clementine shouting.

The three exchanged looks and quickly went to find out what was going on.

* * *

"Where'd you go?" Becca asked as Clementine took a seat beside her.

"On a date…" Clementine said.

"A date?" Sarah asked. "With who?"

"With no one, Sarah. She didn't go on no date." Becca scoffed.

"I did too." Clementine said.

"With who?" Becca asked.

"With Luke?" Clementine said.

Becca rolled her eyes. "Why would Luke date a kid?"

"I'm not a kid." Clementine argued.

"Are too." Becca said.

"Am not." Clementine said.

"Are too." Becca said.

"Am not!" Clementine exclaimed. "Carver made me into a woman."

"The only thing Carver did was take your virginity." Becca replied.

"My virginity?" Clementine repeated, wearing a bewildered look.

"Yeah. He made it so you're not a virgin." Becca told her.

Clementine was confused by the unfamiliar word, but she asked, "Are you?"

"Am I what?" Becca asked raising a brow.

"A virgin…" Clementine said.

"Why do you care?" Becca questioned.

"I was just wondering…" Clementine muttered a bit meekly.

"Of course, I am. I don't sleep around." Becca said.

"Sleep? I don't understand." Clementine said once again looking confused.

"Sleeping around is another meaning for having sex." Becca explained.

"Are you, Sarah? A virgin, I mean?" Clementine asked.

Sarah was quiet for a moment. She trembled as she remembered how Clementine screaming that night save her from Carver's abusive ways. "Yes…" Thanks to Clementine.

"There's nothing wrong with being a virgin." Becca said. "It's better than being a whore."

Clementine flinched at that. "I'm not…"

"What?" Becca asked.

"I'm not a whore! I'M NOT! I'M NOT!" Clementine exclaimed.

"I never said you were! Calm the hell down!" Becca snapped.

"Yes, you did! I'm NOT!" Clementine shouted.

Her loudness got the attention of the others. Carlos, Christa, and Luke made their way over.

"What's going on here?" Christa asked.

"Nothing. She's just spazzing out, what's new." Becca huffed.

"Clementine, calm down." Luke said. "Tell us what's wrong."

"She thinks I'm a whore! A dirty, dirty whore!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Becca, what did you do? What exactly did you say that to her?" Carlos inquired.

"I didn't say anything! She's the one who said it!" Becca retorted.

"Hush!" Christa said. "Clementine, it's okay, sweetie. Calm down."

"I'm NOT a whore! I'M NOT!" Clementine exclaimed.

"No… No, you're not. No one thinks you are." Christa said. "It's alright, just breathe."

Clementine took some deep breaths while Chris ta helped the child to her feet.

"It's okay… Let's get a drink of water." Christa said.

Christa led the girl off without any protest from the young girl.

"What happened?" Carlos asked Sarah and Becca.

"I didn't call her anything." Becca said quickly.

"Well, what did you say?" Luke asked.

"Not what she said I said. I never called her a whore!" Becca said. "I'm always getting blamed for everything!"

"No one's blaming you for anything." Luke said.

"Yes, you are! Everybody's always on Clem's side." Becca said.

"That's not true, Becca." Luke said. "I don't know what the hell just happened, but I think you and Clem both need to cool off."

"This is the reason why I get so mad at you all." Becca huffed.

"Why?" Luke asked. "I don't know what we're doing wrong. We're just trying to solve the issue."

"You're not helping!" Becca said. "All you people do is annoy me."

"Well, how about I walk away, and then I won't be annoying you anymore." Luke said.

Becca huffed and shook her head, "I'm just sick of this shit." She said before walking off.

"Becca, wait!" Sarah called.

Becca ignored her.

"Let her go, Sarah… She needs to calm down." Carlos said.

Luke sighed, "What a way to start the morning."

* * *

Christa led Clementine to the front of the church where she let the child sit on one of the pews. Clementine held her teddy bear, not saying a word for a while.

"I'm going to get you some water, okay?" Christa said.

The child didn't respond.

"I'll be back." Christa said. She walked over to the supplies to get a water bottle.

Clementine stayed in her seat and before long Christa returned.

"Here, Clem. Drink some water." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head. "I don't want any water…"

"Alright… What do you want?" Christa asked as she took a seat by the little girl.

"Nothing…" Clementine muttered. "I just want Promise…"

Christa said nothing for a moment before asking, "What happened, Clem? What did Becca say?"

"She… She insulted me…" Clementine mumbled.

"How? What did she say to you?" Christa asked.

"She called me a whore…" Clementine said.

Christa looked surprised and frowned, "Why would she say that?"

"Because she's a bully!" Clementine said.

"Are you sure she called you that, because she says she didn't?" Christa said.

"She's a liar! She said it's better to be a virgin than a whore." Clementine said.

"What's a virgin, Clem?" Christa asked, she was sure the child had no idea what the word meant.

"I don't know, but Becca said that Carver took my vir-virgin-virginy. Then she said it's better to be a virgin than a whore. That's basically calling me a whore! I'm not a whore, Christa! I'm not!" Clementine said.

"I know you're not." Christa said. "And I don't think Becca meant it the way you thought she did."

"I don't care. She shouldn't have said it in the first place." Clementine said. "If she's supposed to be my friend, why is she always hurting my feelings?"

"I don't think she means to… And you're right, she shouldn't have said it, but you need to calm down, Clementine…" Christa said.

"I'm tired of her treating me like crap."

"Maybe you should spend some time away from her." Christa sighed.

"Fine with me." Clementine said. "I don't want to hang out with someone who thinks I'm a whore."

"She doesn't think that, Clem." Christa said.

Clementine turned away from Christa and said, "I don't want to talk anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I need to talk to you." Christa said firmly.

"About what?" Clementine asked.

"About Luke." Christa said.

"I don't want to talk about Luke! He's mean!" Clementine exclaimed.

"How is he mean, Clem?" Christa asked.

"He… He just is." Clementine huffed. "I don't want to talk!"

"I know you don't, but we have to. It's important." Christa said.

"It's not. You're trying to bother me about Luke and I don't want to talk about him." Clementine said.

"I'm trying to help you." Christa said.

"You're not really helping though." Clementine said.

"Did you say something inappropriate to Luke?" Christa asked.

"No…" Clementine said.

"Did you say he took you on a date?" Christa questioned.

"He did! We held hands and everything." Clementine said. "My mommy and daddy told me that when people have a baby together they get married."

"It doesn't always work like that, Clementine." Christa said. "You're a kid. You need to understand that."

"But Carver said he made me into a woman." Clementine said.

"He didn't. What he did to you was something that shouldn't have been done. He hurt you… that's what he did. Whatever he said to you was crazy talk. He was out of his mind. People who touch children are called pedophiles and they're sick." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine said. "But… Luke's not a pedophile…"

"No, he's not. That's why he can't date you. Because he's not sick. He's not like those evil men who hurt you…" Christa said.

"I know he won't hurt me, so why can't he date me?" Clementine asked.

"Because it's wrong. Only sick people are attracted to children." Christa said.

"I don't understand… Luke said he'll be my baby's father… so why can't we get married?" Clementine questioned.

"You're a child, sweetie. What happened to you doesn't change that." Christa told her.

"I'm not a kid! Kids shouldn't be pregnant!" Clementine argued.

"You're right. A lot of things have happened that shouldn't have, and we're not going to let any more bad things happen. You need to understand, Clem, you're not allowed to be inappropriate towards people." Christa said.

"I didn't think that was bad… I'm sorry, Christa. I wish I wasn't so stupid…" Clementine said. "Everyone's always mad at me."

"People get mad because there are certain things that you shouldn't do." Christa said. "You're not stupid, sweetie."

"I feel like I can't do anything right." Clementine said with sad look. "I don't want to be here."

"Then where do you want to be?" Christa asked.

I want to be with Lee. With my parents. That's where I want to be!" Nothing ever goes right for me."

"You're not alone Clem." Christa said. "Just remember that."

Clementine frowned, before giving a small nod. "Okay… Can I go to sleep now?"

"Sure, sweetie." Christa said.

"Thanks…"

* * *

"I hate when they do this…" Sarah muttered.

"What?" Carlos asked.

"Fight…" Sarah said.

It had been about twenty minutes since Clementine's and Becca's spat. Becca had since locked herself in the office upstairs, refusing to come out. Clementine, on the other hand, had fallen asleep not too long after Christa calmed the girl down.

"I know you do, sweetie." Carlos sighed.

"They argue almost everyday." Sarah said.

"What about?" Carlos asked.

"Anything and everything." Sarah said. "Why can't everyone just get along?"

"They… They've been through a lot. They don't mean it…" Carlos said. "Sometimes when people have a hard time they take it out on others."

"Becca jokes a lot. Sometimes her jokes are mean, and sometimes they hurt my feelings like they hurt Clem's today. I can't always tell when she's joking, but Clementine can, so she usually doesn't get upset." Sarah said.

"Becca used a word that really hurt Clementine's feelings, that's why Clementine got upset." Carlos explained.

"I know… This time I don't think Becca meant to hurt Clem's feelings though, so I can understand why Becca's upset, but I can also understand why Clementine is upset…" Sarah responded. "I feel like I'm stuck in the middle."

"I'm sure… I know they're your friends, but I don't want you to involve yourself in their arguments." Carlos said.

"Okay." Sarah said. She didn't want to be involved anyway. She hated when people fought.

* * *

Jane couldn't help, but pace back and forth as she waited anxiously for Tavia and the others to return. Tavia had gathered up a group of about six people, all armed with weapons, to hunt down Randy and his family.

Any protest had been useless, Tavia made it clear that she didn't care what anybody had to say, she was going to do what she wanted regardless.

Jane was worried, she just hoped Randy, Patricia, and Gill were somewhere safe by now.

She didn't know if she could stay here. Carver was the reason people wanted out before, if Tavia planned to follow in his footsteps then it would be bad for everyone.

Jane couldn't live like that. Not again.

Life at Howe's wasn't what she wanted. Not for her… not for her baby.

* * *

"Becca?" Bonnie called out as she knocked on the office door.

Becca gave no response.

"Becca, you can't just stay locked in there all day." Bonnie called.

"Why can't I?" Becca huffed.

"Just open the door so I can talk to you." Bonnie said.

"I don't want to talk to you. All you guys do is take Clementine's side for everything, just because she's a drama queen." Becca replied.

"Nobody's taking any sides." Bonnie said. "Clem's asleep. She's not fretting over the fight anymore. You don't need to be either."

Becca didn't speak for a moment. Bonnie was surprised when the door opened.

"It's really unfair. Everyone acts like Clementine is the only one who's had it rough. I lost my sister, thanks to her!" Becca snapped.

"Becca, don't say that. Shel did the right thing and what happened wasn't Clem's fault." Bonnie said.

"What Shel did was stupid." Becca said.

"Are you saying Clem should've got bit?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm saying Shel didn't have to die. And if it weren't for Clementine she'd still be here." Becca said.

"Are you that annoyed with her? Clem doesn't mean to upset you. You know that." Bonnie said.

"That doesn't make it okay."

"I know things have been tough. But it'll get better." Bonnie said.

"Whatever…" Becca scoffed, not believing the woman.

Bonnie frowned as the teen walked passed her. She figured Becca needed some more time to calm down.

* * *

 _Dreams like this were the kind Clementine looked forward to. Sitting with her guardian was nice, it made her feel safe._

 _"How're you feeling, sweet pea?" Lee asked._

 _"I… don't know." Clementine muttered._

 _"What's going on?" Lee asked._

 _"I feel like everyone hates me… Especially Becca." Clementine said._

 _"No one hates you, Clementine." Lee said._

 _"How do you know?" Clementine asked._

 _"Well, who could hate you?" Lee questioned back._

 _"Sometimes I hate myself, so I wouldn't be surprised if anyone else hated me." Clementine said._

 _"Oh, don't say that Clem." Lee said._

 _Clementine sighed before asking in a small voice, "You don't hate me, right?"_

 _"Of course not, Clem. I could never hate you." Lee said._

 _"Then how come you don't come visit me more?" Clementine asked._

 _"I'm visiting you right now, aren't I?" Lee responded._

 _"But I miss you. You don't know how much I miss you. Why'd you have to leave me?" Clementine asked._

 _"I guess the world works in strange way, but I'm still here for you, hon."_

 _"I wish you didn't have to go…" Clementine said. "I want to be with you all the time."_

 _"You know you can't. I'd love to be with you all the time too, Clem, but you gotta wake up at some point." Lee said._

 _The child frowned at that. "I hate waking up."_

 _"You're just in a rough spot right now." Lee said. "Everything's going to work out, Clem. Don't stress yourself out about anyone."_

 _Clementine sighed, not responding._

 _"I'm sure you think I'm just talking but I want you to get out of that mindset. If you think negative, negativity comes." Lee said to her._

 _"Negativity comes anyway." Clementine said._

 _"Don't say that, Clem. It's like universal laws. The energy you put out comes back to you." Lee said._

 _Clementine once again said nothing._

 _"Just don't give up, sweet-pea. That's all I'm saying." Lee said._

 _Clementine noticed Lee's was slowly starting to fade away. She must've been waking up. She kept pondering on his words._

 _Maybe he was right. Maybe things would work out…_

 _She'd have to wait and see._

* * *

"I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea or not." Patricia said.

"Why do you say that?" Randy asked.

"Where are we going to go, Randy?" Patricia asked.

"I… I don't know, anywhere but the hardware store." Randy replied.

"That's not good enough, Randy. We won't last out here…" Patricia said. "We need somewhere to go."

"What about Wellington?" Randy said. "That's where we were heading before Howe's."

"You think it's out there?" Patricia asked.

"We can hope." Randy said.

"I guess you're right." Patricia sighed.

"Why'd we have to leave anyway, dad?" Gill inquired. "I thought it was safe there."

"It's not. We had to leave…" Randy said. "Things were… complicated."

"How?" Gill asked. "Did something bad happen?"

"Not yet… We just wanted to leave before anything bad could happen." Randy said.

"Oh…" Gill frowned.

"Don't worry, son. Everything will be alright." Randy reassured the young boy.

"Okay..." Gill said.

* * *

Since the upset of earlier, the girls had been keeping to themselves.

Becca had decided to help the others work on the houses, hoping it would clear her mind.

Sarah stayed with Carlos, reading a book.

Clementine played with Promise for the rest of the day, not speaking much to anyone who checked on her.

Christa stayed by her side most of the day, making sure the child's needs were taken care of. Clementine didn't mind being with Christa. As long as the woman wasn't scolding her.

"Christa…" Clementine called.

Christa looked over to the young girl. "Yeah?"

"I… I had a dream…" The child muttered.

"About?" Christa asked.

"About Lee…" Clementine said. "He comes to visit me, when I'm sleep."

"Oh?" Christa asked. "Does he visit you often?"

"Yeah. I like when he comes. I like seeing him… I just… I wanted to know if those dreams make me crazy…?" Clementine said.

"Of course they don't."

"But whenever I dream it feels real… Super real." Clementine said. "I can even feel everything that happens in them."

"Well, a dream is basically just your unconscious thoughts." Christa told the child.

"Then why can I feel everything?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know. It sounds kind of like a lucid dream." Christa said.

"What's that?" Clementine wondered.

"It when you're asleep, but you realize that you're having a dream while dreaming. Instead of your self- awareness shutting down like it normally does, your brain is still conscious." Christa said.

"I don't get it…." Clementine said.

"It's kind of hard to explain." Christa said. "Do you know when you're dreaming?"

"Yeah. That's the time when Lee comes to visit me, when I'm dreaming… Those are the good dreams, and then… there's the bad ones."

"What are the bad ones?" Christa asked.

"…Carver…" Clementine simply said.

Christa frowned at that. "What... what happens in those nightmares?"

"Carver hurts me." Clementine said.

"…You know it's just a dream, he can't actually hurt you anymore." Christa said.

"But he does. That's the scary part. He can hurt me in my dreams. He can do whatever he wants." Clementine replied.

"He can only do what you allow him to do." Christa said.

Clementine sent her a look. "What I allow? I don't want him to touch me."

"I know you don't. The thing about a lucid dream is you're in control. You can make him go away." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head. "I try. He doesn't go. He... He hurts me... He taunts me... Says my baby is his..."

"How do you wake yourself from a nightmare then?" Christa asked.

"I don't wake myself up. I wake up when he's done with me..." Clementine said. "I hate him! I hate him so much! I wish he would just leave me alone."

"You just got to remember it's not real. He can't hurt you. When you think he can hurt you, you give him the power to do so." Christa said. "You're in control, not him."

"Okay..." Clementine mumbled.

* * *

"Mom, I'm tired... Can't we take a break?" Gill asked.

"No." Randy answered before Patricia could speak. "We have to keep moving."

"But my feet are starting to hurt…" Gill said.

"We can't stop now. We have to keep going." Randy said.

"Randy, we've been walking for hours. We need to take a break." Patricia said.

"We don't have time for a break. They could be hot on our trail by now." Randy replied.

"You really think they'd follow us this far?" Patricia asked.

"Those people are crazy. Who knows what they'll do." Randy said.

"Who? Who's following us?" Gill asked.

"No one, sweetie. Your father's just being paranoid." Patricia said.

"Like hell I am. You know as well as I do Tavia is gonna be pissed about us leaving." Randy said. "And what's stopping her crazy was from hunting us down."

"You're over thinking this, Hon. You need to calm down. Come on, let's take a break. Lack of sleep is getting to you." Patricia said.

Randy let out a sigh. "Maybe you're right."

"I am. You're stressing yourself out." Patricia said. "Everything's fine."

Randy nodded. "Alright... let's take a break..."

Randy hadn't slept at all when they stopped last night. He had been so anxious after they betrayal the conducted, that he kept thinking they were being followed.

Randy laid down while Patricia started rummaging through the bag for something for her and Gill to eat.

She got out some granola bars and offered one to her son.

"Randy, you hungry?" Patricia asked.

Randy didn't respond. He was already asleep.

Gill started munching on his granola bar before asking, "Mom... Are we going to be okay?"

"Of course, honey. Why do you ask?" Patricia responded.

Gill glanced over to his father before speaking, "Dad seems so...worried. Him and Tavia fight a lot. She... She's not going to hurt us... Is she?"

"She's not going to do anything." Patricia said. "We're going to be just fine."

"Okay..." Gill said.

* * *

"We've been out all morning, Tavia... maybe we should head back." A guard spoke up.

"Not until we find them." Tavia said.

"They could be anywhere by now." Another guard pointed out.

"And wherever they are we'll find them." Tavia said.

"What if we don't?" Hank asked.

"There's no what ifs. We'll find them. I'm confident that we will." Tavia said.

Hank sighed. He was starting to get a bad feeling…

* * *

When the group returned from working on the houses, they gathered around for dinner. The meal was a quiet one. There was clear tension between Becca and Clementine and the two refused to speak a word to each other.

"How long are you two going to keep this up?" Russell asked.

"Keep what up?" Becca asked.

"Ignoring each other." Russell said.

"Russell, don't." Vince said, almost as if warning him.

"Why? I just don't understand why they're acting like this..." Russell said. "They could at least talk to each other."

"I don't want to talk to her." Clementine said.

"I don't want to talk to you either. Who would want to talk to a brat?" Becca said.

"A lot of people apparently, because they talk to you." Clementine shot back.

Becca sent the girl a glare. "You're so annoying."

Clementine scoffed, "And you're not? You always want attention."

"Me? Please, you get the most attention." Becca said.

"I do not." Clementine argued.

"Do too. Everyone just pities you." Becca said.

"Becca, stop it. That's not true." Bonnie said.

"Yeah it is." Becca said. "I don't understand why you guys lie to her."

"Becca, that's enough. Stop it." Vince said.

"Tell her to stop! She started this whole thing!" Becca snapped.

"No! You did when you called me a whore!" Clementine retorted.

"Wait, what?!" Kenny asked.

"You called yourself a whore. I'm not taking the heat for something I didn't do." Becca said.

The adults tried to calm the two girls, but the girls continued arguing.

"You're always doing something. You're a bully." Clementine said.

"Let's get this clear, you called yourself a whore, and if you're getting so defensive about it, it must mean you think it's true. Don't be mad at me for something you said." Becca said.

"It wasn't something I said, it's something you said. You think you're tough, but you're just an annoying little girl." Clementine said.

"Don't call me little girl, I'm older than you." Becca said.

"Little. Girl." Clementine emphasized.

"Say it again and I'll smack you." Becca threatened.

"No, you won't." Christa said. "Enough fighting."

"Little girl. Little girl. Little girl." Clementine began chanting.

"Girls! Stop it!" Christa said.

"Say it one more time, and see what happens." Becca said to Clementine, ignoring Christa's words..

"Little girl." The younger girl taunted.

Becca jump to her feet, eyes burning with rage and annoyance.

"Becca, no!" Vince quickly grabbed the teen by her arm. "Stop it!"

"Let me go!" Becca demanded.

"I'm not going to let you hit her." Vince said.

"Let go of me!" Becca spat.

Vince refused. "Not until you calm down!"

"She better stop playing with me." Becca huffed. "I'm tired of her."

"I'm tired of you too." Clementine called back.

"Oh, shut it, kid!" Becca snapped.

"You shut up!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Let go of me, Vince! I'm not going to hit her." Becca said.

"Are you sure?" Vince asked, still not letting her go.

"Yes, just let me go." Becca said.

Vince sighed and released his grip on the girl.

Becca kept her word not to hit the younger girl. She walked off, not speaking another word to anyone.

"You know what, this fighting needs to stop. It's ridiculous. If you can't get along, don't talk to one another." Christa said to Clementine.

Clementine shrugged. "I have no need to talk to her."

"Then don't." Christa said. "Both of you just nitpick with each other."

"She picks with me first. She's always starting it." Clementine said.

"I don't care who starts it. It needs to end." Christa took a breath to calm down. "Finish your food, and head to bed please."

"Why do I got to go to bed?" Clementine complained.

"Because it's late, Clementine! Everyone is going to bed!" Christa snapped.

"Take it easy, Christa." Wyatt said.

"Don't tell me to take it easy." Christa said. "All this fighting is unnecessary.

"I completely agree with you, but you can't go off on the kid." Wyatt said.

"I'm going to talk to Becca." Christa announced.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Luke asked.

"Maybe not, but someone needs to talk to her." Christa said.

"Christa…" Clementine called, trying to stop the woman.

Christa ignored the child as she got to her feet and walked over to where Becca had gone.

Clementine frowned as her guardian walked away.

Christa headed over to Becca who was sitting in the back of the church. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" Becca asked.

"Yes, we do?" Christa said, taking a seat.

"What for?"

"I want to know why you're so angry." Christa said.

"Because Clementine annoys the crap out of me." Becca replied.

"She doesn't mean it. She has emotional issues, Becca." Christa said.

"She's not the only one with issues. Everyone has them." Becca said.

"I know. I've been around Clementine for a long time. She was not always like this, but this world changes you." Christa said.

"Everyone's always making excuses and defending her." Becca said.

"I'm not making excuses. And I'm not going to defend her actions. Having been with Clem as long as I have, I know as well as you do that she can be a pain in the ass. Hell, she's a pain in my ass, but she kept me going for so long." Christa said.

"Your point?"

Christa sent her a look. "My point is, you two are friends and a friendship is worth a lot. Don't let a misinterpretation of words ruin a friendship."

"Just because I put up with Clementine, doesn't mean I consider her my friend." Becca said.

"You know what I've noticed? You and Clementine have some distinct similarities. You're both very stubborn and opinionated, and I think that's the reason you two clash so much." Christa said.

"That's not true. We clash because she's annoying." Becca said.

"You know what you need to work on... You want to be in control and that's not gonna always workout." Christa said.

"I'm not trying to control her. I've done my best to tolerant her, but I can't. And I don't forgive her for what she did either." Becca said.

"What do you mean? What did she do?" Christa questioned.

"That kid got my sister killed." Becca replied.

"I don't know what happened before I showed up... but I do know I've lost people too, and when you lose someone sometimes it just feels better to have someone to blame for it, but I'm sure what happened wasn't Clementine's fault." Christa said.

"It was. Shel got bit, protecting her!" Becca said.

"Protecting her? So, you think Clementine should've been the one to get bit?" Christa inquired.

"It probably would have been better that way." Becca said.

"You don't mean that." Christa said.

"Yeah I do. I don't give a damn what happens her and her stupid baby." Becca hissed.

Christa stood up with a disapproving look on her face. "I think you're upset and you're just talking right now. So, I'm going to walk away and let you think about what you just said, because I know you don't mean that and if you do, then I feel bad for you."

"Feel bad for me?" Becca repeated.

"I understand that you lost your sister and I'm sorry about that, but the fact that you're so bitter towards an eleven year old girl for something she could not control, it's sad to me."

Becca was quiet for a moment before saying, "I… don't need your opinion."

"Say what you want." Christa said before turning to walk away.

* * *

"Finish your food, Clem." Kenny said to the girl.

"I'm not hungry anymore…" Clementine sighed.

"You sure, sweetie?" Sarita asked.

"Yes…" Clementine said. "Can I put AJ to sleep?"

"Sure…" Kenny said as he rocked the baby in his lap. "I think he's pretty tuckered out."

Kenny and Sarita got to their feet with Clementine following. They sat on one of the church pews and Kenny handed the child the baby.

Clementine started rocking him gently.

"You feeling okay, darlin'?" Kenny asked.

"I guess so…" Clementine shrugged.

"I can tell you're not… What's the matter, Clem?" Kenny asked.

"Nothing…" Clementine said.

"…Is it about the argument between you and Becca." Sarita asked the child.

"…I don't want to fight with Becca, I really don't." Clementine said.

"You don't have to, Clementine." Sarita said. "Of course, you wouldn't want to fight with your friend."

"…If she's my friend, why did she say what she said to me?" Clementine asked.

"I… I don't know sweetie." Sarita said. "Are you sure you didn't… hear wrong."

"She said it okay?" Clementine said. "She didn't call me it straight out, but the way she said it implied that she thinks that I'm whore."

"Why would she call you that?" Sarita asked.

"She claims she didn't. But she still said it, and if she didn't mean it in a hurtful manner it still hurt my feelings." Clementine said.

"Clementine… Do you know what that word means?" Kenny asked.

"No…. But I don't like it. Carver called me it a lot. I know it's a bad word." Clementine answered.

"It is a bad word." Sarita said. "It's an awful word."

"What does it mean…?" Clementine asked.

"It's… someone who has sex with a lot of different people." Kenny said.

Clementine took a moment to process his words and a frown came to her face. "I did it with three people… So… Does that mean I really am a whore?"

"No Clem. You're not. No one thinks you are." Kenny said.

"Becca does…" Clementine said.

"No, she doesn't." Sarita said.

"Then why didn't she apologize?" Clementine asked. "If you say something you don't mean you're supposed to say sorry. She didn't even apologize, which means she must think I'm a whore."

"Perhaps you need to tell her how you feel. This is all stemming from bad communication." Sarita said.

"Maybe…" Clementine muttered, as she continued rocking AJ. "I just think she should apologize…"

"I'm sure she will. The thing about arguments is they can be over faster than they started." Sarita said.

"I guess…" Clementine said.

"Arguments happen all the time, but they test your friendship." Sarita told her.

"And sometimes it's not worth it." Kenny said.

"Kenny…" Sarita sighed.

"I'm serious, Sarita." Kenny said. "If someone insults you without caring, they're not a very good friend."

"I don't think her intentions were to insult her." Sarita argued.

"Well, regardless, she did." Kenny said. "Just know who your friends are Clementine."

Clementine sighed, not knowing how to respond. Both Kenny and Sarita made good points. She was starting to feel confused about the whole situation.

* * *

They walked quietly into a wooded area. They kept their flashlights pointed downward to lessen their chances of being seen. They were stumbling almost blindly through the darkness.

The moonlight was helping them see through the trees ahead, but it still wasn't enough.

After several moments Patricia was starting to feel nervous about traveling through the woods in the dark.

Before long Gill began complaining to his mother that he was tired. Patricia couldn't blame the boy. She just wanted to stop, but Randy was determined to keep going.

The had been walking for almost twenty minutes before Patricia decided to voice her concerns. "Randy, we need to stop."

"We can't stop yet, hon." Randy said.

"We can't see anything in this darkness. We have to stop." Patricia said. "At least let us sit down for a while."

Randy was hesitant. He glanced around the area.

"Please, dad?" Gill said.

Randy let out a sigh. "Okay… Okay fine. Just a short break."

"We need to just stop for the night and you need to calm down." Patricia had never seen her husband so anxious before. "We're going to be fine."

"We don't know that, we can't just stop now." Randy said. "Not out in the open.

"Gill's exhausted, I'm exhausted! You're exhausted! We have to stop." Patricia said.

Gill tried not to pay attention to his parents arguing. He looked around as he heard the sound of people. "Dad…?"

"Not now, Gill." Randy huffed.

Gill frowned, straining his eyes through the darkness to try and see the figures behind the trees. It wasn't long before he caught sight of a light from the trees. "Mom, there's someone there."

"Gill, not you too. There's no one there." Patricia said.

"In the woods, mom. They are." Gill said, pointing towards the trees.

Randy and Patricia looked towards the lights and panic immediately set in.

"Shit… It's them! We gotta move." Randy quickly grabbed Gill's hand and took off running.

Patricia followed after him. "Randy, slow down."

Randy didn't respond as he kept running, tugging his son along with him.

As they continued to run, Gill, who was struggling to keep up with his father's face pace, suddenly tripped over a tree branch. Patricia immediately rushed to her child's side.

"Gill, baby, are you okay?" She asked.

The boy looking up with teary eyes and shook his head. "I hurt my ankle..."

Patricia started to check the boy's ankle, which Randy tried to urge him to stand up.

"I think he's twisted his ankle, Randy. What do we do?" Patricia said.

"I'll… I'll deal with Tavia… You two just stay hidden." Randy said.

"A-Are you sure?" Patricia stammered.

"I'm sure… It'll be fine." Randy said. "Take care of Gill…"

Patricia gave a reluctant nod. She helped her son to his feet and they hid behind some trees.

Randy took a breath and stepped out into the open, just as their pursuers made their way through the trees.

"So, you finally stop running." Tavia said as she walked towards him.

"What do you want, Tavia?" Randy asked.

"You stole from me." Tavia said. "I want my supplies back."

"I… don't have anything." Randy said.

"Don't lie to me, Randy." Tavia replied.

"I'm not lying…" Randy said.

"Where's Patricia?" Tavia asked.

"She… We got into an argument and she took Gill and…." Randy trailed off.

"You expect me to believe that?" Tavia asked. "You're not a very good liar."

"Look around. You don't see them, do you?" Randy said in a cold tone.

"Don't get smart, Randy. I'm not here to play games." Tavia said.

"Then what are you here for?" Randy questioned.

"I'm here to make a deal. You come back to the hardware store, with MY supplies…" Tavia said.

"…And if I don't…?" Randy asked.

"Then you'll suffer the consequences." She motioned to her gun.

"You wouldn't." Randy said, eyes growing wide.

"Try me." Tavia smirked. "The choice is yours, Randy."

"You don't want to do this, Tavia…Please…" Randy said.

"That's where you're wrong, Randy. You don't know how quickly I'll be willing to pull this trigger." Tavia said. "Make your choice, now."

Randy didn't respond for a few moments before saying, "You really are a crazy bitch…"

That was all it took for Tavia to pull the trigger.

Randy defensively tried to move away when he saw Tavia's finger pull the trigger.

The sound was loud and it caused both Patricia and Gill to jump. The guards watched in shock, not knowing what to do.

The bullet hit Randy in the right side, just below his chest.

Randy doubled over, his side feeling as if thousands of hot needles had pierced his skin.

Randy lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Hot liquid pumped from the wound in his lower chest.

Tavia aimed center the barrel of her gun over Randy's head, ready to deliver the fatal shot.

"Stop!" Patricia begged, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Instinctively, Tavia turned toward the sound, aiming her gun at Patricia.

"Why, Tavia? Why?" Patricia asked.

Tavia turned her attention to Randy, while keeping her weapon aimed at Patricia, she said, "I knew you were lying."

"D-Don't… Don't hurt her…" Randy choked out.

"W-What did you do?!" At this point Patricia was reduced to sobs. She went to her husband's side.

"Pathetic... That's what this is." Tavia scoffed. "Your husband had this coming, and you know it."

"Tavia… That… That's enough." Hank said.

"Yeah. You're right. We've waste enough time out here. They're not even worth it." Tavia turned to the guards. "Let's go."

The guard nodded and followed after Tavia, who left without sparing Randy or Patricia another glance.

"Mom? Dad?" Gill called, limping his way over. "What's going on?"

Patricia didn't respond for a moment. She pressed her hands against Randy's wound trying to stop the bleeding. There was so much blood. _So much blood._

"G-Get me this first-aid kit! Hurry!" Patricia ordered to her son.

Gill's eyes widened at the sight of his parents on the ground. "D-Dad?"

"Now, Gill!" Patricia said.

Gill nodded and went to retrieve the first aid kit.

"W-Wellington…" Randy muttered out.

"Wha-What?" Patricia asked.

"G-Get… to Wellington…" Randy said.

Patricia shook her head. "Randy, stop talking."

She was battling a threatening bout of hysteria as she waited for Gill to return with the first-aid kit.

"…Take care… of my boy…" Randy said.

"Stop talking like that… You're not dying on me…" Patricia was sick with worry as she tried to stop his bleeding.

Before long Gill returned with the first-aid kit. "H-Here!"

Patricia took it and opened it.

"N-No use…" Randy coughed.

"Shush! Stop talking and keep still." Patricia said, her strict tone causing him to quiet down.

"Is he going to be okay mom…?" Gill asked through his own tears.

"He's fine… He'll be fine!" Patricia said.

She didn't bother cleaning the wound. That would have to wait, she had to stop the bleeding first.

She applied a compress, which quickly soaked up with blood.

Gill watched anxiously, hoping his father would be alright.

Every second that passed felt like an eternity. Randy's breaths were getting heavy, his head was spinning.

He was sure he was dying.

Patricia said something that he couldn't make out, and not long after Randy felt his consciousness starting to fade.

* * *

 _Clementine sat on a stump with a sigh. She flinched when she heard a rustling in the bushes and before look a bright yellow Frisbee was place by her feet. She heard the sound of whining._

 _Clementine gave a slight jump as she noticed the dog. She was a bit weary of what he wanted._

 _When he nudged the Frisbee, she understood._

 _"N-Not now, Sam..." Clementine said, she didn't trust him. She was worried that he might bite her if she touched the Frisbee._

 _The dog continued to whine, wanting to play._

 _"I said no. What are you going to do, bite me again?" The child scoffed._

 _"Not a dog fan?" A voice grabbed her attention._

 _"I don't want to get bit again." Clementine said with a huff._

 _"Someone's in a bad mood." Lee noticed._

 _"Aren't you observant today?" Clementine replied, almost rolling her eyes._

 _"What's wrong, Clem? Not happy to see me?" Her former guardian questioned as he took a seat beside her. He gently pet Sam._

 _The dog wagged his tail before laying down and chewing on the Frisbee._

 _"I'm always happy to see you, Lee." Clementine said._

 _"So, what's going on, sweet-pea?" Lee asked the girl._

 _"I just… feel bad…" The child said._

 _"About what, sweetie?" Lee asked._

 _"Well… Becca said something that really hurt my feelings." Clementine said._

 _"What was it?" Lee questioned._

 _Clementine was hesitant to answer. "…It's a bad word…"_

 _"I think you've said your fair share of swears."_

 _Clementine sighed at that. "I don't mean to. They just slip out sometimes._

 _"I know, Clem. You've heard so many swears I'd be surprised if you didn't slip one every now and then." Lee said. "What happened with Becca?"_

 _"She... she called me a whore." Clementine said._

 _"Did she now?" Lee asked._

 _"Yes and no... she didn't say my name when she it..." Clementine frowned. "But she said it..."_

 _"And how did that make you feel?"_

 _"Sad… It really hurt my feelings…" Clementine answered._

 _"I'm sure it did, but you know it's not true." Lee said._

 _"That's what Carver used to call me…" Clementine told him._

 _"When people insult you, they do it for the reaction. It's to hurt you. None of those horrible things he said to you are true." Lee said._

 _"I don't know if you're right." Clementine muttered._

 _"I am, Clem. You're not any of those nasty words he said to you." Lee reassured._

 _"Do you really think that?" Clementine asked._

 _"Of course, sweet-pea. Don't believe a word that sick man said to you."_

 _"It's hard not to… I try to remember the "sticks and stones" saying, but it's hard because words hurt too." Clementine said._

 _"I know they do, Clem, but words can only hurt if you let them matter. Don't give anyone the power to bring you down. You're stronger than that." Lee said._

 _"I tried to be strong… But now I just feel broken." Clementine frowned._

 _"Oh, Clem…" Lee sighed as he pulled the child into a hug. "Everything's gonna be alright."_

* * *

Jane didn't know how long it had been until Tavia and the others returned.

Some of the guards wore glum expressions. Jane felt her stomach drop as she quickly asked what happened.

Most of the guards seemed hesitant to talk about what had occurred.

Tavia had headed to her office without a word. Jane took the opportunity to approach Hank.

"What happened?" Jane asked.

"Tavia… Tavia shot Randy?" Hank said.

"Wha- What?" Jane stammered out, eyes wide in shock.

"She shot him in the chest…" Hank said.

"Is he… dead?" Jane asked.

"I don't know…" Hank replied with a sigh. "We didn't stay to find out."

"Holy shit…" Jane muttered. "This is crazy… I can't believe this… I mean, this was the whole issue people had with Carver. You can't think this is okay…"

"Tavia was supportive of Bill and so were a lot of other people that are here." Hank said. "I think if someone does something wrong, they should suffer the consequences."

His glum expression when he had told her about what happened said otherwise. "Randy and his family didn't do a thing wrong." Jane said.

"They stole from us. That's reason enough to punish them." Hank said before walking away.

Jane was shocked by his words. She was starting to think Patricia was right about leaving.

She should've never came back to Howe's in the first place.

* * *

"Where's Promise?" Clementine asked Becca.

The teen responded with a smirk on her face, "Why are you asking me?"

"Because he's missing! And I know it's your fault." Clementine stated.

"Where's your proof?" Becca demanded.

"You're the only one who would take him!" Clementine said. "Where is he?"

Becca shrugged. "He's around here somewhere."

"You're such a bully!" Clementine exclaimed.

"And you're such a brat. What do you want from me?" Becca huffed.

"For one, I want an apology." Clementine said.

"For what?" Becca asked.

"For what you said."

Becca refused. "No… I never called you a whore. I'm not going to apologize for words you put into my mouth."

"I didn't put the words in your mouth. You said them yourself, and you owe me an apology." Clementine said.

"The last time I apologized to you, you threatened me." Becca said. "You will never get an apology from me."

"You're really mean, you know that?" Clementine said. "You owe me an apology!"

"I don't owe you anything. Don't forget you got Shel killed?!" Becca snapped at the younger girl.

"W-What?"

"My sister. It's your fault she's dead, remember?" Becca said sending the child a cold glare.

"That's not my fault. I didn't…" Clementine trailed off.

"She died saving your life. She didn't deserve to die." Becca said.

Clementine frowned at that. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't bring her back!" Becca hissed.

Clementine lowered her head, "…Just tell me where you put Promise, please..."

"Why would I tell you?" Becca scoffed. "If I hid him the whole point is for you not to find him."

"I want him back… I need him… Please?" Clementine pleaded.

"Then go find him." Becca said.

Clementine sent Becca a look before turning away. She started searching around the church for her missing teddy bear.

The child had no luck finding it and after several minutes of search she was almost in tears.

The child proceeded to ask all the group members if they knew where her stuffed toy was.

Becca had hidden it good.

Clementine started checking under and behind every pew in the church. She was starting to get frustrated.

She kept searching for her teddy bear, when suddenly she felt a hand grab her sweater. The girl glanced up to see Arvo sitting on the pew she was looking under.

"Oh sorry." The child got to her feet, but Arvo kept his grip on her. Clementine raised a brow and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Arvo didn't speak, but his glare was answer enough.

"Have you seen Promise?" Clementine asked.

Arvo still said nothing as he tightened his grip on the child's arm.

"Ow! You're hurting me..." Clementine said as she tried to tug away. She was startled by the glare he was giving her. "Arvo...?"

"Your fault..." Arvo suddenly said.

Clementine furrowed her brows. "What?"

"You killed Natasha. You killed her!" Arvo spat.

"I... I didn't..." Clementine stammered, startled by his sudden accusation. That was the second time some had accused her of killing someone today.

"You killed Natasha! You are not nice! You kill my sister!" Arvo snapped.

"Arvo, I didn't kill her! I didn't!" The child managed to jerk her arm free.

"You killed my sister! You KILLED HER!"

"I didn't kill her! Leave me alone!" Clementine exclaimed.

Their yelling grabbed the attention of the others.

"What the hell is going on?" Kenny demanded rushing over. "What the fuck did you do to her?!"

"She killed Natasha! She killed my sister!" Arvo yelled.

"Arvo, calm down, man! She didn't kill anyone." Mike said.

"She killed Natasha! She die too!" Arvo exclaimed.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Kenny snapped. "Threaten her again and I'll kick your ass!"

"Back off, man!" Mike said.

"Don't tell me to back off! Did you not hear what he just said?!"

"It's just anger talking. Clementine's fine, he's not going to do anything." Mike said.

"Well I don't appreciate the threat!" Kenny said.

"Neither do I. If you want to be mad at someone over your sister, be mad at me. I'm the one who shot her." Christa said.

Arvo sent the woman a glare and said something in Russian.

"Stay away from my girl." Christa said. She walked over to Clementine and took the child's hand. "Come on, Clem."

She led the child away.

Kenny walked off as well after shooting Arvo a dirty look.

"What the hell was that about, man?" Mike asked Arvo.

"She killed Natasha... Her fault." Arvo muttered.

"She didn't do anything. She's just a little kid, you can't be like that." Mike said. "That's unfair."

Arvo shook his head. "She's… not good. Not a good little girl."

"She didn't do anything wrong…" Mike said. "Look, I understand you're upset, but you got to take it easy. Especially with the kid…"

Arvo didn't say a word in response.

Mike sighed. The group was already wary of Arvo and after what happened Mike could only imagine things would get worse.

* * *

"Did he hurt you? What did he do?" Christa asked, checking the girl for injuries.

"Nothing." Clementine said. "Really…"

"He did something, you wouldn't be yelling if he didn't do anything." Christa said.

"It's not a big deal, Christa." Clementine said. "Nothing happened. Now can you please just stop?"

"Stop what?" Christa asked.

"Stop everything. I want to be alone." Clementine said.

Christa paused before saying, "Clem... That's not a good idea..."

"Please? I need space…"

Christa sighed and said, "Front of the church, on the bench. That's as much space as you'll get."

"But Christa..."

Christa cut of her protest, "No buts. I'm not letting you wander off somewhere to hurt yourself."

"Who says I'm going to hurt myself?" Clementine asked.

"Last time you were alone you burnt your arm." Christa reminded.

"I said I wouldn't do it anymore. Not until my baby is born." Clementine said.

"Not just until the baby is born. You're not going to hurt yourself anymore. Period." Christa said.

"I'm not trying to hurt myself. I just want to be alone." Clementine said.

"Front of the church, Clem." Christa repeated. "You can sit alone on the bench, no one will bother you."

"Fine." Clementine huffed.

Christa grabbed the girl's arm and asked, "What's with the attitude?"

"I don't have an attitude." Clementine said.

"Yes, you do. I'm trying to help you. Don't get an attitude with me, Clem." Christa said.

"I'm not. Can I just be alone please?"

Christa let the child go. "Alright. Go ahead."

"Thank you." Clementine said before turning on her heel to walk away.

Christa headed back to the rest of the group and sat with a sigh.

"Is everything okay?" Sarita asked.

"Yeah..." Christa said.

"Clem's alright?" Kenny asked.

"She was just startled. She wants some time alone." Christa said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carlos asked.

"She's upset. And I don't want to add fuel to the fire." Christa replied. "She needs sometime.

"This is not how a group is supposed to operate…" Sarita sighed.

"What do you mean?" Vince asked.

"There's always so much hostility and I think the kids are picking up on that." Sarita said.

"The bickering between Clementine and Becca is proof of that." Christa agreed.

"The kids aren't the issue. We need to talk about Arvo. Next time he threatens Clementine he's going to get his ass kicked." Kenny said.

"He's upset. I'm sure he's just talking. He won't hurt the kid." Luke said.

"That doesn't matter. He had a lot animosity towards Clementine, and that concerns me." Christa said.

"We'll just keep an eye on both of them. I doubt he'd hurt anyone. He talks tougher than he looks." Wyatt said.

"I take all threats seriously… I don't trust that boy." Christa said.

"He's just a kid." Luke said. "Relax."

"Alright, fine. But I'm not lowering my guard anytime soon." Christa said.

* * *

Hank's word echoed in Jane's head. She didn't know what to think when he had said that. She hadn't thought Tavia would go that far. It was awful.

It was hard to keep her composure around Tavia. She wanted to question why the woman did what she did. She thought it was wrong, but she knew not everyone agreed with her.

There were people who actually supported Tavia's ways.

Going against the woman would leave Jane out there where the buses don't run.

This wasn't the type of environment that she wanted her child growing up in.

She had thought getting rid of her baby would be the best choice, but she found herself unable to do it. She understood what Clementine meant when she said killing a baby wasn't easy, even if the fetus wasn't able to feel.

Jane sat down and tried to think of what to do now. She couldn't raise a baby on her own, she didn't even want the people around here finding out about her pregnancy.

She was sure Luke would help her, if she were to find him and tell him. She didn't want her kid growing up without a father. She also knew Tavia wouldn't be happy if she told her she planned on leaving. What happened with Randy and his family was proof that Tavia wouldn't take things well.

She didn't know what to do.

* * *

"You need to eat something." Christa approached Clementine with a bowl of beans.

"I'm not hungry." Clementine refused.

"Clem, you still have to eat. Come on."

"I said I'm not hungry." Clementine repeated.

Christa planted a hand on her hip and sent the child a look. "What's with the attitude? What's going on?"

"Nothing…" Clementine said. "Nothing's wrong, okay?!"

Christa sighed. She placed the bowl down and took a seat by the young girl. "Clem, talk to me, sweetie…"

The child stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "Christa... am I a bad person?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because I get a lot of people killed..." Clementine said.

"That's not true, Clementine. I promise you." Christa said.

Clementine let out a couple whimpers.

"Clementine, what's wrong?" Christa asked.

Clementine shook her head and sniffled out, "I can't find Promise. He's the only one that makes me feel better…"

"Okay…" Christa said. "Where's the last place you had him?"

"B-Becca lost him." Clementine whimpered.

Christa sighed. "Stay here, Clem. I'll go find him."

"O-Okay…"

Christa walked over to Becca who was sitting with Russell and Bonnie.

"Where's the teddy bear?" Christa asked, straight to the point.

"What?" Becca asked.

"Clem's bear. Where is it?" Christa inquired.

"Hell if I know." Becca scoffed.

"Becca." Bonnie said in a scolding tone.

"Don't talk to me like that. Just give the kid her toy back." Christa said to the young girl.

"If she wants it back tell her to find it." Becca scoffed.

"Why are you doing this?" Christa asked.

"She started it." Becca said, crossing her arms.

"And you're drawing it out. Just give her bear back." Christa said.

"I don't have her bear." Becca said.

"You know what you're doing, you're being a bully." Christa said.

"I'm not bullying anyone." Becca argued.

"Then give the bear back." Christa said.

"I don't have it." Becca said.

"You think it's funny and it's not." Christa said.

"I don't have the brat's teddy bear." Becca groaned.

"The only one being a brat right now, is you. You're letting your pride destroy a friendship and that's stupid." Christa said with a huff before walking off.

* * *

As the day went on and both Clementine and Becca refused to interact with the rest of the group Sarah was starting to feel a bit glum. She wished they would make up already.

"Can't I talk to them, dad?" Sarah asked. She didn't like when people argued, she just wanted her friends to make up.

"No." Carlos said.

"But why not?" Sarah asked.

"I told you, I don't want you getting in the middle of their quarrel." Carlos replied.

"But dad… I just want them to be friends again." Sarah admitted.

"Maybe it's best if they're not." Carlos said.

"Don't say that, dad. They're just being stubborn. Maybe they'll make up if I talk to them." Sarah said.

"I said no." Carlos said in a stern tone. "It's not a good idea."

"Maybe Sarah should talk to them." Sarita, who was sitting beside them with AJ in her arms, spoke up. "She could be the voice of reason and put an end to the feud they have going on."

"I don't want her getting involved." Carlos said.

"Why? They're her friends." Sarita reminded.

"Just because they're her friends doesn't mean she should get involved in their drama." Carlos said.

"I just want to talk to them, dad. They're my best friends. I want to fix this." Sarah said.

"Sarah…" Carlos groaned.

"I have to at least try." Sarah said. "Please, dad?"

"…Fine." He knew he wouldn't be able to stop Sarah from playing the role of the peacemaker.

"Thank you, daddy." Sarah said.

She got up and headed over to where Clementine was sitting to check on the younger girl

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked. "Clem?"

Clementine kept her face hidden from the older girl.

"Clem, what happened?"

"Everyone hates me." Clementine whimpered out.

"That's not true, Clementine." Sarah said.

"Then how come Becca acts like I'm her problem?" Clementine asked. "How come everybody's always mad at me…"

"I don't know." Sarah said. "But Becca, does not hate you. No one hates you."

"Mm-hm..." Clementine mumbled. "She hid Promise… She won't give him back… I need him. I need him back!"

"She's just…sad about her sister, okay? She's doesn't hate you." Sarah said.

Clementine was unconvinced.

"I'm going to go talk to her, okay?" Sarah said. "Stay here."

Sarah walked off to find Becca who was sitting by herself, making origami figures. "Becca, can we talk, please?"

"About what?" Becca asked. "There's nothing to talk about."

"...Clementine's really upset." Sarah told her.

"Why?" Becca asked.

"You hurt her feelings. You're being mean to her..." Sarah said.

"I didn't do anything to her. She just blames shit on me." Becca said.

"You did hide her teddy bear, right? Can't you at least give him back to her?" Sarah asked.

"No way." Becca said.

Sarah frowned and said, "Becca, you're being so cruel."

"I haven't done anything." Becca said.

"You made Clem upset." Sarah said.

"And?"

"You should apologize. It's not right." Sarah replied.

"She should apologize to me!" Becca said. "She's not innocent."

"She's almost in tears right now." Sarah said. "And now you're yelling at me for nothing."

"She's crying because she's a crybaby. And so are you." Becca said.

"You're being a bully. And you look like you're proud of it." Sarah said.

Becca chuckled a bit. "I am."

"That's completely selfish. You're supposed to be our friend." Sarah said. "Clementine doesn't deserve to be treated this way."

"Of course you would take her side."

"Clementine is my best friend. She doesn't call me weird or anything mean. She never tried to hurt my feelings and… she saved me from him…" Sarah said.

"From who?" Becca asked.

"From Carver..."

Becca's eyes widened at that. "What are you talking about?"

"She saved me when he wanted to have sex with me…" Sarah said. "She protected my whole group. She's the best friend I could ever ask for."

"He tried to…?" Becca trailed off.

"He was going to do it her, I wanted to stop him… I wanted to save, but she's the one who saved me." Sarah said. "And she deserves better. You can't treat her rudely… It's not nice."

"I… had no idea… that happened." Becca said, surprised by what she was told.

"You're supposed to be her friends. Friends are supposed to help each other, not hurt each other." Sarah said.

"I'm not hurting her." Becca protested.

"She thinks you hate her…" Sarah said.

"…I don't." Becca muttered.

"Huh?"

"I don't hate her…" Becca said.

"Then you should tell her that." Sarah suggested.

Becca sighed, "Okay, fine."

"And give Promise back." Sarah added.

"You're pushing it." Becca said.

"You shouldn't have taken him in the first place. Give him back." Sarah said.

"Alright, alright." Becca said.

"Good."

* * *

After retrieving Clementine's stuffed animal Becca and Sarah headed over to Clementine.

The child was curled up on the church pew with her thumb in her mouth. She didn't react when the two came over.

"Clementine, are you okay?" Sarah asked the girl.

The younger girl gave no response.

"Take your bear, Clem." Becca said.

Clementine didn't move an inch.

"Clem?" Sarah called, nudging the child.

"Is she breathing? Maybe she slit her wrist or something." Becca said.

"Don't say that." Sarah scolded.

"I'm serious, she looks dead." Becca said.

"I'm not dead…" Clementine muttered out, pulling her thumb from her mouth. "Can you give me Promise, please?"

Becca handed the bear over.

Clementine immediately hugged the toy close.

"Clem, what's the matter?" Sarah asked.

"I feel naughty…" Clementine said.

"Naughty?" Becca echoed.

"Y-Yeah…" Clementine said.

"You're not naughty, Clem." Sarah said.

"Then why can't I do anything right? Why does everyone hate me? Why do so many people die because of me?" Clementine asked.

"No one hates you, Clementine... Look, I know I've been pretty mean lately, but I wanted to say sorry. And you know how rare my apologies are." Becca said.

"So… You don't hate me?" Clementine asked.

"No, I don't." Becca said.

"But you said I got your sister killed…" Clementine said.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have blamed it on you. Look, I'll try to be a better friend from now on." Becca said. "If you still want to be friends."

"I don't know…" Clementine muttered.

"Look, I know you've had a hard time, but so have the rest of us." Becca said.

"Just because everyone else is having a hard time doesn't mean another's feelings are valid." Sarah pointed out.

"I'm trying to apologize here." Becca huffed.

"Well… Uh… you're not doing a very good job." Sarah said. "Sorry…"

Becca rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

"A sincere sorry." Sarah said.

Clementine sighed and said, "I don't want her to say sorry because you told her to."

"I'm saying it because I want to. What else do you want me to do?" Becca asked.

"I just want to know that you really mean it. Your apology should be in actions, not words." Clementine said.

"You're right." Becca sighed. "I'm not good at taking care of friendships I never have been. That's probably why Shel and I were so close. But I'll learn to be a better friend."

"Okay…. I forgive you…" Clementine said. "I'm sorry too."

"So… We're cool?" Becca asked.

Clementine gave a nod, "Yeah. We're cool."

Sarah sighed in relief. "So you two are friends again?"

"Yeah, we're friends." Clementine said.

"Great!" Sarah beamed. "Let's play monopoly together!"

"Sure, why not. You up for it, Clem?" Becca asked.

Clementine shrugged. "I guess…"

"Good, come on." Sarah pulled the younger girl to her feet.

Clementine didn't protest as her friend started dragging her towards their usual play area with Becca following along.

Clementine was glad she had made up with Becca, but she was worried about what happened with Arvo…

And a little voice in the back of her head kept telling her she was a _naughty_ little girl.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

 _ **Also big thanks to G0nna6of4rk1d and Daisyfan5534 for ideas. I'll be using your idea in the next chapter Daisyfan5534.**_

* * *

It had been nearly two months since Jane had discovered she was pregnant. Two months since she had made the decision to hide the pregnancy. Two months that she had been debating on if she should stay at Howe's or not.

Jane's frustration was starting to set in, she realized she wouldn't be able to hide her pregnancy forever. Sooner or later people would know. She knew it'd be foolish to try.

Yet she didn't want anyone to know.

She was sure people were already starting to get suspicious. Jane recalled a month ago when she had been taking inventory of medical supplies, only to have a guard walk in, finding her holding a bottle of abortion pills with a glum look on her face.

 _Since the incident with Randy's family, Tavia had become stricter with keeping an eye on things. That meant more perimeter checks, and more supply checks._

 _Jane had volunteered to take inventory in the infirmary._

 _"Sure, you go ahead and do that." Tavia shrugged._

 _Jane gave a nod and headed towards the infirmary._

 _Once she got to the infirmary, she checked the medical equipment first._

 _After that she look through the cabinets, counting what they had in stock. She used a notepad and pen to list each medication there._

 _She let out a sigh as she looked over the list. This was going to take longer than she thought, she still had another cabinet to check._

 _She started on the next row, listing the medications when suddenly something caught her eye._

 _She picked the pill bottle up and read it. Birth control pills…_

 _Her stomach dropped as she thought how things would be different if she had those before._

 _With a shaking hand, she placed the container back on the shelf. She noticed something else that froze her in her tracks._

 _Abortion pills._

 _She picked them up with some hesitation._

 _This would be her chance to get rid of her burden._

 _She dumped one of the pills in her hand. She looked at the tiny pill she was holding. She could take it and the pregnancy would be over. It was that simple._

 _Or… she could take a lot more, and everything could be over._

 _Without stopping to think about what she was doing, Jane tipped the bottle, allowing several pills to land in her palm._

 _If she took them all, everything could end. No more stress, no more pain..._

 _Slowly she brought her hand to her mouth, but she seemed to freeze in her tracks unable to take the pills._

 _Her heart pounded and her hand shook. She already lived with the guilt of losing her sister. She didn't think she could live with the loss of a child, especially through her own choice._

 _As realization dawn on her on how stupid she was being, she jerked her hand back, dropping the pills on the floor._

 _"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me?" She asked herself._

 _Her hands were trembling so badly she almost couldn't control them._

 _She bent down and started picking up the pills, putting them back into the bottle._

 _"Jane?"_

 _Startled, she dropped the pill bottle, causing some of the pills to spill once again._

 _She looked up noticing a guard, "N-Not now, Mitch."_

 _"What are you doing?" Mitch asked._

 _Jane didn't reply as she continued picking up the pills._

 _Mitch knelt down to help her._

 _Jane raised a hand to stop him. "I got this."_

 _"It's alright." Mitch said. "I can help."_

 _"Mitch, really."_

 _Mitch however, proceeded to help her, picking up the fallen pill bottle. He glanced at the label and his brows drew together. "...Are you...?"_

 _"Am I what?" Jane demanded, daring him to finish that sentence._

 _Mitch, although hesitant, spoke. "Pregnant?"_

 _"No. Why would you think that?" Jane huffed, snatching the pill bottle from his hand. "Look, I got this, okay."_

 _Mitch slowly stood, "...Yeah. Okay."_

 _Jane waited for him to leave before sighing and continuing to clean up the pills._

 _She hoped he wouldn't say a word about what he just saw._

People had been whispering ever since that incident. Which meant Mitch hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut.

It was just a "rumor", Jane could easily diffuse it. At least that's what she told herself.

She closed her eyes trying to clear her mind.

Just a stupid indiscretion, and she was about to be a mother. She was awashed in consequences that she didn't want. She felt trapped.

* * *

"I feel fat..." Approaching the fourth month in her pregnancy Clementine now had a noticeable bump.

Clementine hated the way her pregnancy made her feel. She was sick basically everyday, and constantly getting aches and pains.

Not only that, but her body was changing in ways she didn't like, or understand.

Everytime she looked in the mirror she would see herself as fat. Her body didn't feel like it was hers any longer.

Her breast were also developing. Her once flat chest had developed to the point where she was almost an A-cup. That meant she had to wear the bras, which she dreaded. Christa told her she would get used to it, but it hadn't happened yet.

Besides physical changes, her hormones were running amok. Everyone noticed it and seemed to be walking on eggshells around her.

"You're not fat." Sarah said.

"But... I feel like I am..." Clementine frowned.

"You have a baby inside you." Becca said. "If you suddenly became five-hundred pounds, I'd call you fat."

"Geez, thanks." Clementine huffed.

"So... How do you feel?" Becca asked.

"As far as what?" Clementine asked back.

"Well... The baby... Can you feel it kick or anything yet?" Becca questioned.

"No... Not yet. Carlos says it's still too soon for it to kick. But I do feel like there's butterflies in there sometimes, they said that's the baby moving." Clementine said.

"Rebecca said her baby started moving around three or four months. I guess it's different for everyone." Sarah said.

"Yeah… I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." Clementine said.

"Why would it be bad?" Sarah asked.

"Because if it can make me so sick and it's not even kicking yet, I'm scared to find out how I'll feel when it is kicking..." Clementine replied.

"Well, actually, the baby starts moving around seven weeks, you just can't feel it much until later on." Sarah said.

"He." Becca suddenly said.

"What?" Clementine asked.

"It's a he, remember. That's what the needle said." Becca said.

"How do we know that it's right?" Clementine asked.

"Just trust me." Becca said.

"I don't know…" Clementine muttered.

"Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?" Sarah asked.

"I don't mind one way or another. As long as it's not like Carver…" Clementine said.

"It won't be like Carver." Sarah said.

"How do you know?" Clementine asked.

"Well, you're a good person. So your baby will be a good person." Sarah told her.

Clementine gave a small smile. "Thanks, Sarah. I hope you're right."

* * *

"So, I was thinking we could work on fortifying the walls this week." Tavia spoke to Jane.

"Yeah… That's good…" Jane responded absent-mindedly.

Tavia immediately noticed that and asked, "You alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jane asked.

"You don't look fine." Tavia said.

"Then how do I look to you?" Jane asked with a clear attitude.

Tavia raised a brow. "…You think I was wrong?"

"About what?" Jane asked.

"What I did to Randy?" Tavia asked.

Jane didn't respond for a while. "You shot him, didn't you? You think he deserved to die?"

"They had it coming." Tavia said.

"They were decent people. I know what they did was an asshole-ish move, but they didn't deserve what happened." Jane said. "You took it too far."

"That's your opinion. A lot of people agree that I did what had to be done." Tavia said.

"A lot of people disagree too." Jane replied.

"Well that's their problem." Tavia said. "I'm not looking for acceptance, I'm doing what a leader should do. Anyone who crosses the line deserves to be punished. What happened with Randy should be an example of what will happen to people who cross me."

"I'm going to check the perimeter." Jane walked off without another word.

She had nothing more to say to the other woman. It wasn't worth trying to argue with Tavia.

* * *

"So... I was thinking of names and I came up with Nicholas for a boy and Nicole for a girl." Luke spoke, looking up from the list of names that he had written down.

"That's nice, but I'm not the one you need to talk to about it." Christa said. "You should tell Clem."

"I can't. It's awkward." Luke sighed.

"Well… you guys are going to pick a name eventually. The sooner the better." Christa replied.

"It's not easy talking about the baby with her. It's weird." Luke said.

"I know, but she's the mother. She's going to be involved in the kid's life. If you want to be there for the baby, start being there now." Christa said.

"I'm trying…" Luke said. "But what do I look like suggesting baby names to a kid."

"You look like you care." Christa responded.

Luke disagreed. "No. I look like a sick fuck."

"Luke, everyone knows what happened wasn't your fault." Christa said.

"That doesn't make it okay." Luke said. "I still have nightmares about that shit. I feel like a disgusting person."

"Clem doesn't think that and neither does anyone else." Christa said. "There's only a few months before the baby's here. If you're like this now, how are you gonna be when it's born?"

"I… I don't know."

"You want to be there for the baby, but how are you going to do that if you can't even look at it?" Christa asked. "Stop acting like you're scared to talk to Clem. She barely understands what happened to her. And the more you avoid her, the more she feels like it's her fault."

"It's not her fault. It's not." Luke said.

"Then don't make her feel like it is." Christa said. "Things might be awkward and difficult, but you got to keep Clem's feeling in mind."

"…You're right." Luke said. "I gotta do better. I got to…"

* * *

Hank and Tavia had both noticed that Jane had been acting different.

While it wasn't out of the ordinary for Jane to keep to herself, she acting as if she were hiding something.

"Something's not right. She's been off for a couple weeks and I want to know why." Tavia said.

"Yeah…. She has been acting strange…" Hank said. "Maybe she's depressed about something."

"Like what?" Tavia inquired.

"I don't know. People have a lot of shit going on all the time." Hank said. "Maybe she's thinking about her family, or other people she lost. Or maybe she's thinking about the baby."

"Baby? What baby?" Tavia asked.

"You haven't heard?" Hank asked back.

"Heard what?" Tavia questioned.

"The rumors." Hank replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mitch found her looking at abortion pills few weeks ago, as far as he could tell he didn't see her take them. Some people think she might be pregnant." Hank said.

"Is that right?" Tavia asked.

That would explain Jane's weird behavior and her sudden out of the blue sicknesses.

Hank shrugged. "I don't know. But it's her business if she is."

"She should've told me." Tavia said.

"Why?"

"Don't you believe in being open and honest?" Tavia questioned.

"I believe in honesty… But I also believe in minding my own business." Hank shrugged.

"This is my business." Tavia stated.

"How's that? It's her kid." Hank said. "Besides, we can't just go jumping to conclusions."

"This is a community. Everyone's choices impact others here. If she has that kid, it's another mouth to feed. And one that can't pay us back for a long time." Tavia said.

"So what are you going to do?" Hank asked.

"I'm going to confront her about these "rumors", find out if they're true or not." Tavia answered.

Hank regretted saying anything, he had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Luke had been hesitant to talk to Clementine. Looking at her was hard now that she was starting to show, but Christa was right, he didn't want the kid to feel bad. He couldn't keep avoiding her…

"Hey, Clem…" Luke greeted as he walked over to the child.

"Hey, Luke." Clementine greeted back. "…Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." Luke said. "What are you girls up to?"

"We're just playing cards. Want to join?" Sarah said.

"Sure, why not?" Luke took a seat beside Clementine. "So… How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." Clementine said, "But I've also been worse. So I guess, I'm okay, considering."

"That's good." Luke said.

"Yeah. It feels like the baby's been moving around a lot. I wonder if it can hear me." Clementine said.

"If not now, it will soon." Sarah said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"At about eighteen weeks… the baby starts to hear." Luke responded.

Clementine raised a brow and asked, "How do you know?"

"Been reading a "What to Expect" book I found in the study." Luke said.

"What to expect about what?" Clementine asked, looking confused.

"The book is called, "What to Expect When You're Expecting"." Luke explained.

"Expecting what?" Clementine asked.

"A baby. Expecting is another way to say someone's pregnant." Becca explained.

"Oh." Clementine said.

"And stop calling the baby an "it", I told you it's a "he"." Becca said.

"You don't know that." Clementine said.

"Just wait and see. I'll be right." Becca claimed.

"Okay then." Clementine shrugged. "I guess I should stop calling "him" an "it" then... So... Luke,"

"Yes?" Luke replied.

"What do you think of the name, Lee?" Clementine asked.

"Lee?" Luke was aware that Lee was Clementine's old guardian. He hadn't known she was already thinking of names too.

"Yeah." Clementine said.

"It… It's a nice name, Clem." Luke said.

"Thanks. Lee it is then." Clementine said.

Sarah smiled. "I bet little Lee's gonna be adorable. Can… Can I feel?"

"Sure." Clementine said.

Sarah slowly reached out and touched her friend's stomach.

"It must be tough carrying him around all day." Becca said.

"Tell me about it. My back's killing me…" Clementine said.

"Better hope he's not a big baby. That'll hurt coming out." Becca sid.

"I don't want to think about that. It's scary." Clementine said. "Luke, do you want to feel?"

"W-What?" Luke gulped.

"The baby." Clementine clarified.

"No thanks, Clem." Luke refused.

"But why not?" Clementine asked.

"Because I said no, okay?" Luke said firmly.

Clementine's face fell. "I… I'm sorry."

"No…. I am… I didn't mean it, Clem…" Luke said. "I just... I can't feel, okay?"

"It's okay. I get it." Except Clementine was lying. She didn't get it. Her feelings were a bit hurt, why didn't he want to feel the baby?

* * *

Jane hated being questioned. She didn't like when others pried into her business. Why Tavia couldn't understand that, was beyond her.

"What's bugging you?" Tavia asked.

"What do you mean?" Jane questioned back, she was become annoyed.

"Something's up. You been weird for weeks. What's the deal?" Tavia asked.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it…" Jane replied.

"Why not?" Tavia crossed her arms as she kept a cold stare aimed at Jane.

Jane didn't even return her gaze. "It's nothing… Really."

"…Why didn't you take them?" Tavia's suddenly asked.

Jane was confused by the woman's words. "Take what?"

"The pills." Tavia said.

"Excuse me?" Jane asked, wide eyed.

"Mitch saw you looking at the abortion pills. He said you didn't take them." Tavia said.

"Why would I?" Jane asked.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Tavia asked, already believing she knew the answer.

Jane opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

"How…? How did you know?" Jane finally managed to ask. In doing so, she sighed, realizing she had just admitted that she was in fact pregnant.

"So, you are?" Tavia asked.

Jane said nothing.

Tavia took her silence as confirmation. "Would you like some advice?"

"That depends on what it is." Jane responded.

Tavia paused for a moment before saying in an emotionless manner. "Get rid of it."

"What?"

"Take the abortion pills." Tavia said. "It will be better for everyone."

"Who's says I want an abortion?" Jane said.

"What are you going to do then?" Tavia asked.

"Keep it. That's the only other choice besides abortion…" Jane said.

"Are you sure that's good idea?" Tavia asked, wearing a disapproving look.

"Who knows if anything's a good idea." Jane said.

"So let me guess, you're one of those people against abortion?" Tavia asked.

"…No…" Jane admitted. She was far from one of those people.

"Then what's the big deal?" Tavia asked.

"The big deal, is this is my choice, and my kid. Look, maybe it's the right choice for other people, but it's not for me." Jane said.

"If you expect a "congratulations", I'm not going to give you one." Tavia grumbled.

"I don't expect anything from you." Jane said.

"I think you're making a mistake." Tavia replied.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I should be open to advice in this situation, but to be honest, I've never been good at listening to suggestions. I've usually just figured things out on my own." Jane said.

"Is that what you plan to do now?" Tavia questioned. "Figure it out on your own?"

"I can't do it alone. Raising a child by myself is not an option." Jane said.

"That depends on your point of view." Tavia replied.

"I don't want my kid growing up without a father." Jane said honestly.

"Who is the father?" Tavia questioned.

Jane shot her a look. "It's personal."

Tavia was quiet for a moment. "Is it Troy? I know you were with him a few months ago."

"It's not Troy." Jane said. "If it was that fucker's baby… I wouldn't hesitate to kill it."

"Then who?"

"...Luke..." Jane answered.

Tavia was surprised. "Luke? When did you two…"

"I don't think that's important." Jane interrupted.

"Getting pregnant is pretty important…" Tavia scoffed. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't need a lecture, okay. What's done is done." Jane said.

Tavia shook her head in disbelief. "Luke of all people…"

"He's a good guy…" Jane shrugged.

"Sounds like you caught feelings for him." Tavia said.

"I don't know about that." Jane said. She hadn't seen Luke in so long, she didn't know what to think about him.

"Do you really want to bring a kid into such a dangerous world?" Tavia asked.

"No..." Jane said, rolling her eyes. "But this is something I've debated on for two months..."

"Then what do you plan to do?" Tavia asked.

"I... don't know." Jane muttered.

"I want you to answer me, honestly." Tavia's expression froze Jane in her place.

"I... I want to go find Luke..." Jane said.

Tavia sighed at that. "Jane…I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear, but has it occurred to you that he may not even want the kid?"

"Luke will help. I know he will. I'm not going to kill it." Jane said.

"Why not? It won't even feel it." Tavia replied.

Jane frowned at that, she remembered uttering those exact words to Clementine. "That may be true... But I've made up my mind."

"Then you should do some rethinking." Tavia insisted, she was becoming militant. "You're one of the most bullheaded people I know, that's something I usually respect you for. Now? Not so much."

Jane's frown deepened. "If this is your way of trying to convince me, it's not going to work."

Jane turned to walk off, but Tavia stopped her.

"Jane, I'm not the enemy."

"You're sure acting like it. Why don't you just mind your damn business?" Jane spat.

"Everything is my business!" Tavia snapped. "I'm in charge, what I say goes!"

"You don't run me." Jane said. "I'll make my own decisions."

"…I wouldn't try to leave if I were you." Tavia said in a warning tone.

Jane shot her a glare, "Why not?"

"You didn't forget what happened to Randy and Patricia, did you?" Was Tavia's response.

Jane felt her blood run cold. "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't call it a threat. You can consider it a warning. I don't threaten people, threats are for the weak. I like to keep my word. Tavia said.

"Why are you doing this?" Jane asked.

"I haven't done anything. Yet, anyway." Tavia said. "I like you, Jane. You've got guts and you're a bright person. Don't make a dumb mistake."

* * *

Patricia woke up the moment she heard Gill yell out. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding in her her chest as she went to check on her son.

She approached his bedside and noticed his thrashing figure. He was murmuring something. She slowly made out his words and her heart clenched.

"Dad... No..." Gill mumbled.

Patricia frowned and gave the child a shake. "Gill, wake up."

The child continued thrashing in her grip, but eventually his eyes opened upon her urging.

"It's okay... It's just a bad dream, baby." Patricia hugged the young boy.

"...I... I dreamed about what happened... To dad..." Gill murmured.

"I know, baby..." Patricia hugged her son tighter.

"I miss him..." Gill said.

"I know..."

"I wish he was here with us..." Gill added.

"I know, Gill. I know..." Patricia was fighting back her own tears, her voice cracking as she spoke.

What killed Patricia the most was the fact that her husband didn't die from his injuries, at least not immediately. Randy had managed to pull through. He was weak from blood lost, but he had been alive. Patricia was sure he would make a full recovery.

However, despite her efforts to keep his wound protected, it got infected. And Patricia noticed with trepidation that they had no antibiotics. Still, she was certain Randy would be fine. Even when he was getting sick, Patricia had faith that he'd be alright.

It wasn't until three days after he had been shot that poor Gill had found him, early in the morning, unresponsive. Patricia felt horrible for herself, and even worse for her son. She couldn't bring herself to stop him from turning, her finger just wouldn't pull the trigger, and there was no way she'd let Gill do it, so they just... left. Teary eyed and heartbroken, they left him there to roam.

"Is she going to find us?" Gill suddenly asked, drawing Patricia out of her thoughts.

"Who?" Patricia asked.

"Tavia...?"

"No, Gill. We're safe here. I promise." Patricia reassured.

"Okay...I hope you're right." Gill said.

"I am." Patricia said.

"I wish dad could be here..." Gill said again. "I knew he was right about Wellington being real."

"Yeah, he was."

* * *

A week had passed and Tavia's aggression grew.

Anyone who crossed her, would quickly regret it. Tavia wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on anyone who had done "wrong".

She believed there was a punishment for every mistake. And the greatest punishment of all in her eyes, was death.

Each day that passed Jane became increasingly paranoid. She bit her tongue, tried to avoid Tavia the best she could.

Killing innocent people, it was wrong. She didn't want to be a part of a community that condoned such evil.

It was evil. There was no other word for it.

She wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, but with Tavia and her "followers" keeping a constant eye on her it was hard.

If she was going to leave, she needed a plan and a damn good one.

She needed to come up with something fast.

* * *

Clementine felt awful all day, her head was pounding and she had thrown up at least twice. She absolutely hated this feeling.

She remained curled up in a ball on the church pew, letting out whimpers and swears every now and then, and hoping she would feel better.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Clementine didn't even look to Sarah as the teen took a seat by her.

"I'm not hungry." Clementine muttered.

Sarah glanced to Clementine's untouched bowl of oatmeal. "You have to eat. You haven't eaten anything all day..."

"I'm really not hungry." Clementine said. Just the thought of eating made her stomach turn.

"…What's wrong?" Sarah asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just an emotional wreak, I'm sick all the time, and I'm going through a lot of painful and weird changes." Clementine huffed, "But other than that everything's just peachy keen."

Sarah paused for a moment before sighing. "You still have to eat something…" She said.

"Since when are you the boss of me?" Clementine huffed.

Sarah frowned at that. "S-Sorry."

"No... I'm sorry. I just hate feeling like this... I'm just tired of being sick all the time." Clementine said.

"I'll get my dad. He can help you." Sarah offered.

Clementine shook her head. "He can only do so much. Besides, he'll just try to force me to eat something, and that will only make me throw up."

"Well you can't just go without eating. The baby needs food. Just because you don't feel like eating doesn't mean it's okay to starve the baby."

"I'm not starving the baby. The baby's fine." Clementine said.

"You should still eat something." Sarah urged. "At least a little bit."

"... You know what I have been craving?" Clementine said with a small smile.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"Ice-cream." Clementine said. "I could go for an ice-cream sundae."

"I don't think we have any ice-cream." Sarah said. "But it would be good."

"I know. That's the whole point. I'm always craving stuff we don't have." Clementine said.

"Well… Maybe we could try to find some." Sarah shrugged.

"Where are we going to find ice-cream?" Clementine said.

"I'm… not sure…" Sarah said. "But if we can't find it we could always make it. It's not that hard when you have the ingredients."

"Except I doubt we do." Clementine said.

"Fair point…" Sarah said. "So what now, you're just going to starve until you get ice-cream."

"I'll eat later. I just want to rest right now." Clementine said.

"Okay. Do you want me to stay with you?" Sarah asked.

"If you want." Clementine shrugged.

"I will then." Sarah said. "At least until you fall asleep."

"Okay." Clementine said, closing her eyes, and slipping her thumb into her mouth.

"Night, Clem."

"Goodnight…"

* * *

Jane continued to do daily perimeter checks, however Tavia made sure someone always "gave her a hand". Jane knew that was a way for the other woman to watch her movements and make it harder for her to leave.

"I take it you're not in a good mood." Mitch spoke as he walked alongside her.

Jane didn't respond.

"Is everything alright?" Mitch asked.

"Everything's fine." Jane said.

"You sure?"

"I said I'm fine, Mitch!" Jane snapped.

Mitch flinched a bit. "Okay... Sorry..."

Jane sighed. "I... I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"I can tell..." Mitch said.

"…So many people died here, so many ghosts. Sometimes they're all I think about. Especially during the night." Jane said.

Mitch agreed. "It's easy to overthink stuff at night."

"Yeah..." Jane was quiet for a moment before inquiring, "Did you tell Tavia about the pills?"

"What? No."

"Then how did she find out?" Jane asked.

"I don't know. I didn't say anything." Mitch said.

"Now why do I find that hard to believe?" Jane scoffed.

"I'm serious, Jane." Mitch replied.

Jane didn't bother saying a word. He was the one who caught her with the pills. He was the only one who could have told.

She was sick of these people and sick of this place.

* * *

"Clementine! Wake up! It's just a dream!" Sarah called, nudging her friend with a concerned look.

Clementine was jerked awake from yet another nightmare. She felt even worse when she awoken, she was drenched in a cold sweat from head to toe, her heart was pounding in her chest, her breathing was staggered, sounding more like sobs than anything else. She had a pounding headache and her stomach was hurting.

The child rubbed tears away, and slowly forced herself to sit up.

She needed to change her clothes. There was no way to be comfortable if she was covered in sweat.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, handing the child the teddy bear that she had dropped.

"Y-Yeah…" Clementine lied. She was far from okay.

"Want some water?"

Clementine nodded. "P-Please… I want Christa…"

"Okay, I'll get her." Sarah said.

Clementine waited as her friend walked off. The girl brought a hand to her stomach, rubbing it to try to ease the ache she felt. "Please don't make me sick…"

She felt trapping in waves of nausea, she didn't want to be sick any longer.

"What do you want from me?" Clementine asked the baby. "Why are you doing this? What did mommy do wrong? What did I do?!"

"Clem?" Christa called, pulling the child's attention to her. She was holding a water bottle. "Is everything okay."

"No, it's not." Clementine said with a frown. "Everything's bad…"

"What's wrong?" Christa asked. "Sarah told me you had a bad dream… Was it about… Carver?"

"He… He says I'm going to die… He said the baby's going to kill me. And then I'll be with him, forever…" Clementine said with a whimper. "I don't want that, Christa."

"You're not going to die, Clem. Don't listen to a word he says." Christa pulled the child into a hug, trying to calm her down. "The worst thing you can do is let yourself be scared. When you're scared that means you believe something may happen. You got to think positive."

"I can't… I don't want to die, Christa… I don't want to die…" Clementine was not afraid of death; she was not afraid of pain. She was afraid of _him._

Christa could feel the girl's little body trembling. She could hear little whimpers and sobs fall from the child's lips. She did her best to confront the girl.

Clementine's sobs eventually stopped, and Christa noticed the girl had nearly cried herself back to sleep.

"You feel better now?"

Clementine shrugged, almost too exhausted to speak.

"We should change you out of these clothes?" Christa asked, noting the child's sweat-drenched clothing.

Clementine gave a tiny nod in response.

"Alright." Christa urged the girl to sit up. "I'll find you a different outfit."

As Christa walked off to find her a change of clothes, Clementine curled up as much as her pregnant body would allow on the pew. She absent-mindedly played with Promise's ears as she waited for her guardian to return.

She was fighting to stay awake. She didn't want to go back to sleep. Not if she was going to see Carver in her dreams.

It didn't take long before Christa returned with some clothes. A pink shirt and a pair of sweat pants. She had also brought a pack of crackers for the child to eat.

"Let's change you into these." Christa said.

"Right here?" Clementine asked. "What if people see?"

"No one's watching, don't worry. I'll stand here so no one can look." Christa said, placing the clothes beside the girl.

"Okay…" Clementine undressed from what she was wearing and changed into the fresh clothes. "Thank you, Christa."

"You're welcome, Clementine." Christa said. "Now I want you to eat something, okay?"

"Do I have to?" Clementine asked, a frown on her lips.

"You know you do." Christa said. "Go on."

"Okay… Just a little bit, right?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah. Just a little bit." Christa handed the girl the pack of crackers.

When Clementine started eating them, she hadn't realized how hungry she was.

She had eaten over half the pack when she finally handed it back to Christa.

"How about you try to rest some more?" Christa suggested to her.

"I can't…" Clementine said.

"I think you should." Christa said. "I'll stay right here beside you."

"Promise…?"

"I promise." Christa told her.

"You won't break it either, right?" Clementine asked.

"I'll stay right her, until you wake up." Christa said.

"…Okay." Clementine said. "Can I lay in your lap?"

"Sure, Clementine." Christa said.

Clementine rested her head in her guardian's lap. She held Promise with one hand as she kept her other thumb in her mouth. She felt Christa remove her hat and rub a hand through her hair.

Within only minutes Clementine was once again asleep.

* * *

During the day, Jane tried to force her mind to concentrate on an escape plan.

When night hit, she put the first part of her plan into play. She would need supplies if she wanted to make it out there.

Jane headed to the infirmary to stock up.

Despite all the work she had put in when it was her turn to take inventory, it proved to be worth it.

Out of everyone in Howe's she was the only one to keep the checklist of exactly what they had, the only one who was specific with counting the amount of food and medical supplies they had. Therefore, she'd be the one to notice if something went missing, no matter how small.

Randy had made the mistake in taking too much. Jane wouldn't make that same mistake.

She had managed to pack a backpack of supplies, about two weeks' worth if rationed properly.

She was on edge as she slowly inched from the kitchen.

"What's with the bag?"

Jane jumped slightly at the voice. "Nothing."

Mitch raised a brow at that.

Jane ignored him and kept walking.

"Jane, wait." Mitch followed after her. "I wanted to talk..."

"I'm busy." Jane said.

"Are you angry at me?" Mitch asked.

"About what?" Jane huffed as she continued to walk.

Mitch continued to follow. "About the pill incident. I didn't mean for everyone to find out. Can't I make it up to you?"

Jane stopped in her tracks.

This was her opportunity. Jane knew Mitch was a people pleaser, she could take advantage of that.

"...Actually... There is something you could do."

* * *

The next morning Clementine awoke feeling much better than the day before. Having slept most of the day yesterday, she was glad to feel better now.

She had been looking forward to playing a board game after breakfast until Luke suddenly announced to her that he wanted to show her something.

"What is it?" Clementine asked.

"Christa and I got a surprised for you." Luke said.

"A surprise?" Clementine repeated.

"That's right." Luke confirmed.

Clementine was curious to know what the surprise was.

"How about you finish up with breakfast then we'll take you to see it. A lot of people worked on it yesterday." Christa told her.

Clementine drew her brows together. "On what?"

"You'll see." Christa said.

Clementine finished eating breakfast. She was growing more curious with each passing minute.

"Ready for your surprise?" Luke asked once she was done.

"Yeah. What is it?" Clementine said.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." Luke said. "Close your eyes."

Clementine did so.

Luke took a hold of the child's hand. "No peeking."

"Okay, I won't look until you tell me to." Clementine said.

He led her outside with Christa following.

"Can I look now?" Clementine asked, feeling a light breeze hit her face.

"Not yet. Keep those peepers shut, kiddo." Luke said.

"How about now?" Clementine asked after only a moment.

Luke chuckled. "Nope." He led her towards one of the houses they had finished working on. "Here, watch your step."

Clementine felt him help her up a short staircase. She resisted the urge to peek, Luke seemed to be taking his time in letting her see.

"Just a little further." Luke said as he opened the door to the house, and led the girl inside.

Clementine just walked with him, eyes still shut. Suddenly, she felt him stop walking.

"Can I look now?" The girl asked once more.

"You can look." Luke said.

The child opened her eyes and gasped in delight.

"Surprise. Do you like it?" Luke asked.

A smile crossed her face at what she saw. She stood in the doorway of a bedroom.

The room was lightly furnished with a bed, nightstand, a desk for writing, a chair, and a little toybox in the corner.

And Clementine loved it.

"Oh wow. I haven't had a room in so long!" Clementine said. "It's mine?"

"All yours, kiddo." Luke said.

"Look Promise! We got our own room! Now we can have private time together!" Clementine said happily.

Luke's face dropped at that. "What?"

"Promise and I can have private time in here! Right, Christa?"

Christa sighed at that. "Clem, we're not talking about that right now, okay?"

"Why not...?" Clementine looked slightly disappointed.

"Because… It's not something you should tell everyone about." Christa said.

"Oh… Okay…" Clementine said.

"Anyway…" Luke started, "I'm sure you and Christa will like it here."

"What about you?" Clementine asked Luke.

"What about me?" Luke questioned, looking confused.

"I want you to live here too." Clementine said.

"Clem, we've been over this." Christa said.

"But… I want to him to stay!" Clementine exclaimed.

Luke took ahold of the child's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Clem, no. Christa will take better care of you than I can."

Clementine frowned, almost pouting. "I can take care of myself."

Luke shook his head in disagreement. "Clem, you're still a kid. You should have someone looking after you. And Christa is the best person to do that."

Clementine crossed her arms. "It's not fair. Why can't I make the decision for myself?"

"Don't make this difficult, Clementine. I'll come to visit everyday, but you gotta stay with Christa." Luke said.

"You think I'm disgusting, don't you?" Clementine asked.

Luke sent her a look of shock. "What?"

"That's why you don't want to be around me." Clementine said, yanking away from his grip.

"That's not it all, Clementine." Luke said.

"Yeah it is." Clementine said. "I'm not stupid, Luke. If you don't want to be around me then don't. I don't care anymore."

Luke watched the child walk over to the bed where she laid down and curled up, holding Promise close to her. "Clementine…"

Christa grabbed at his shoulder. "I think she just needs some time."

Luke sighed. "Okay."

* * *

Jane was used to surviving in different situations. She had been through so many life or death scenarios.

Her plan of escape was simple: check the perimeter, overpower a guard, and make the escape.

Tavia was the biggest obstacle to her escape plan. If Mitch kept his word to distract her and the others, hopefully she'd have enough time to make an escape.

She played it cool all morning, hoping to make an escape sometime around noon, when the guards rotated shifts.

She didn't want to draw any attention to herself before then. She had done her best not to, so she was surprised when Tavia had decided she wanted a word with her.

"Can't it wait?" Jane asked.

"No. It's important." Tavia said. "It won't take long."

Jane sighed, she could sense an argument coming.

Tavia's expression revealed nothing, but Jane had noticed that when Tavia was at her most impassive, she was also at her most dangerous.

Jane followed her to the office and Tavia ushered her inside.

The door closed behind them with an ominous click.

"What's this all about?" Jane asked.

"How about you sit down, Jane?" She indicated to a chair in front of the desk.

"No thanks." Jane said.

"Sit down." Tavia repeated a bit firmer.

Jane shot Tavia a look, but took a seat.

"I've been generous to you, have I not?" Tavia asked.

"Most of the time, I suppose." Jane said.

"Good... Now, I'm going to ask you a favor."

"What?" Jane asked, she was sure she wouldn't like this "favor".

"I want you to go into the infirmary, and I want you to take an abortion pill." Tavia said.

Jane groaned. "This again?"

"You know you should. There's no place for children here. It will only drag us down." Tavia said.

"Who are you to say that?" Jane demanded.

Tavia didn't answer, instead she brought the attention to the bag Jane had been carrying around all day. "What's in the bag?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Supplies..." Jane said honestly. Tavia would find out anyway, no point in lying. "I'm leaving tonight."

Tavia leaned back in her chair, a half-amused look on her face. "We've been over this already. If you try to leave you'll be caught. Don't test my patience, Jane."

"You're a cold, evil person. You know that?" Jane scoffed.

"I'm not. I only do what needs to be done." Tavia said. "Either you can get rid of that... thing. Or I will."

Jane noticed the woman stand up and before Tavia could do anything, Jane quickly drew her gun. "Don't move any closer."

Tavia raised her hands. "Jane... Relax."

"Don't tell me to relax." Jane said. "I'm leaving. And you're not going to stop me."

"This is stupid. Think about what you're doing."

"I have." Jane said.

Tavia glared at Jane before moving forward, intending to take the gun.

Jane aimed the gun downwards, shooting by Tavia's feet. "That's your final warning."

"You want to leave, fine. See if I care." Tavia growled. She knew there was nothing more she could do.

Jane walked out of the office without another word, she kept her eyes on Tavia until she made it completely out of the room. She noticed a few guards coming to check on Tavia, having heard the gunshot.

Jane ignored their questions of what happened as she walked passed them.

She headed downstairs and to the front of the hardware store. She noticed Mitch and another guard standing by the entrance.

When she tried to leave the guard stopped her, his gun aimed in her direction. Jane returned aim with her own weapon.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"None of your concern." Jane replied.

"Tavia doesn't want anyone leaving." The guard said.

"Out of my way, now." Jane ordered. She looked to Mitch, waiting for him to do something.

"I'm sorry, Jane… It's suicide out there." Mitch said with a frown.

"You're the one who told, Tavia, aren't you?" Jane asked,

"It's for your own good, Jane." Mitch said.

Jane shot him a glare. She looked to the other guard, still aiming her gun at him. Without an ounce of hesitation, she pulled the trigger, shooting him in the side.

She then aimed her gun at Mitch, who's eyes were wide from what he had observed. "Drop your gun."

"Jane, w-what are you doing?" Mitch said

"I said drop your fucking gun!" Jane snapped.

Mitch did so.

Jane grabbed the fallen weapon. "You might want to help your buddy before he bleeds to death." She huffed and turned to leave.

Mitch didn't say a word as he watched her go, but he did as she said and rushed to the other guard's aid.

* * *

With a majority of the houses finally in livable condition, the group had no reason to stay at the church any longer.

Within a few days, they had rationed supplies among each other and moved from the church, deciding it would be their meeting spot from now on.

Becca decided to stay with Bonnie, figuring she'd have more freedom if she did as she wasn't the most watchful person.

Vince, Russell and Wyatt had decided to share a living space as well. Fortunately, the houses were big enough that everyone could be comfortable, which everyone was thankful for after being cramped up in the church.

Luke, Mike, and Arvo stayed in the house beside them.

Carlos, and Sarah took the house next door to Clementine and Christa so Carlos could keep an eye on the young girl, considering she was crossing into her fourth month of pregnancy, the doctor wanted to make sure everything was alright.

Kenny, Sarita, and baby AJ took the house across from them. Kenny was still upset about Clementine not staying with them, but was satisfied that she was at least close by.

Luke made sure to keep his word of visiting Clementine everyday, which was easy enough considering the child was only a few doors away. The more he was with her the more worried he became by what he observed.

 _By the second day of moving into the houses, Luke noticed the child's behavior was becoming increasingly disturbing. And it only seemed to continue to escalate._

 _However, each time he brought up his concerns with Carlos or Christa they would act like it wasn't a big deal. In fact, they decided that her new habit of destroying toys was fine as long as she was no longer hurting herself._

 _Christa and Carlos both had told him he was over thinking her behavior, but Luke's concern wasn't eased._

 _With the girls at Sarita's and Kenny's home helping with AJ, Luke figured it would a good time to once again bring up his concerns about Clementine._

 _"Sarah and Becca never complain about her doing anything." Christa said. "It's not a big deal, Luke."_

 _"Just because she's not hurting others doesn't mean it's not a big deal. Her aggression isn't towards other people, it's towards herself. She's mutilating toys now, but how long is that gonna last? What's it gonna be next?"_

 _"Luke, you're right about one thing, she has a lot of pent up aggression. But her taking that aggression out on toys is better than her cutting herself." Christa said._

 _"But it's not." Luke said. "She's not just destroying toys. She's also acting out sexually with them. The other day she told me she played the "sex game" with Promise."_

 _"What?" Carlos's eyes were wide at what Luke had said._

 _"Now do you see what I'm talking about?" Luke asked._

 _Christa sighed. "Maybe I should talk to her."_

 _"How many times have we tried talking to her? It doesn't help." Luke said. "There has to be another way that we can get her out of this aggressive state."_

 _"Perhaps there is a way." Carlos said._

 _"What do you suggest?" Luke questioned._

 _"You were an art major, correct?" Carlos asked._

 _"Art history." Luke said. "Why?"_

 _"Well… Many abused children are able to release stress by drawing." Carlos said._

 _"You think I should draw with her?" Luke asked._

 _"It would help her to relieve some of the stress she has." Carlos said._

 _"I'm sure she'd love it too. Clementine used to draw every chance she got." Christa informed._

 _"Alright then. I'll draw with her. I could probably give the kid a few art lessons." Luke said. He hoped this would help the girl to calm down a bit._

When Luke had suggested to Clementine that he'd teach her how to draw Clementine jumped at the opportunity.

Spending time with Luke was probably the kid's favorite thing to do at the moment, second to taking care of AJ.

For the next few days the two would meet outside where they would proceed to draw anything and everything that came to mind.

Slowly but surely, Clementine was beginning to focus more time on drawing and less on mutilating dolls. Luke figured for only three days, she was making progress.

* * *

It had only been a few days since Jane had left Howe's, five to be exact, and already she was feeling anxious.

With nowhere else to go, she headed towards Parker's Run, where she had stayed since she left the hardware store.

She hadn't thought she'd be back here. Sitting on the very deck that she had tried to push Clementine from. Her intentions on that day were never to hurt the child. No, she was trying to save the young girl.

She couldn't regret what she had tried to do. Clementine's little body wouldn't be capable of carrying and birthing a baby. The group was crazy for letting her decide to keep it.

Jane was sure pushing Clementine off that deck would only do but so much damage. A broken arm or leg, would've been nothing compared to the pain the kid would feel during childbirth.

Still, Jane was worried about returning to the group. She knew they weren't going to welcome her with open arms after what happened.

Part of Jane was hesitant on searching for them. She usually did better on her own anyhow. But everytime the thought crossed her mind of her taking care of a squirmy, crying infant, she wanted to cringe. She was going to need help. She wasn't good with kids, or people in general. She couldn't raise a child to be a decent human being, at least not on her own.

* * *

The entire group was glad that the cold, snowy winter months had ended. Finally, spring was upon them, leaving the weather nice.

Clementine had to admit drawing everyday was enjoyable. It helped to ease her mind of negative things for a while.

"I can't draw as good as you…" Clementine frowned.

"That's okay, kid. You just need some more practice." Luke said. "I think you're a pretty good artist though."

"Thanks." Clementine smile.

"So what do you think about the house?" Luke asked the child.

"I like it. It's pretty and the room's nice. I just don't like sleeping by myself." Clementine said.

Clementine was glad to have finally moved from the church. Sure, she and Becca had made up, but Clementine knew it could be any day that something caused an argument between her and the older girl. Not to mention Arvo's constant muttering of how she killed his sister was creeping her out.

She felt more at ease without the group fighting all the time. Although, she still was on edge about Arvo, who would often glare at her from his porch or window, but considering he hadn't done anything since the church incident, she tried not to worry about him much.

"That's okay. You're just not used to it yet." Luke said. "So… Do you like the dolls Bonnie got you?"

"Yeah. I do." Clementine said.

Luke hadn't expected her to say that. "You do?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then why do you break them apart?" Luke asked.

"Because they're pretty." Clementine said.

Luke didn't know if he had heard right. "You destroy them because they're pretty?"

"Pretty things are supposed to be broken." Clementine said.

"Why do you say that, Clementine?" Luke was bothered by the child's words.

"…Carver said I was pretty. And that's why he broke me." Clementine replied.

* * *

Jane let out a sigh as she dug through her backpack searching for something small to eat. She regretted not stocking up on more food, cravings were definitely kicking in.

Only packing two weeks' worth of food was a bad idea, considering she had no idea how long it would take her to find the group. If her assumptions were correct, they would be at that town across the river, but there was a slight chance that they weren't.

Not to mention, Jane was hesitant to head to the town in the first place. She wasn't looking forward to seeing any of those people.

Kenny was pissed the last time he saw her, she was sure he'd be pissed about her coming back.

Things were just plain awkward when it came to Luke. And she was worried how he would react when she dropped the bombshell about the pregnancy.

Then there was Clementine…. Everytime she thought of that kid… She would picture the worse, a little girl sick and dying… She couldn't handle it.

Still, Jane knew if she was going to find them she would have to get a move on soon. She decided first thing tomorrow, she would start the trip to the town.

* * *

The next morning Clementine woke feeling sick once again.

Christa tried to offer the child food, which the girl refused. After seeing how miserable the child was, Christa decided to get Carlos.

The doctor came over, along with Sarah who was also concerned for the younger girl.

Carlos gave Clementine a check-up before determining she was okay.

"My suggestion… Is to put her on bedrest." Carlos said.

"What's that?" Clementine asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Carlos replied. "You'll be laying in be for most of the day."

"But… But I don't want to lay around all day." Clementine complained.

"If you're in pain now, it's only going to get worse as your pregnancy progresses." Carlos said. "Resting will help alleviate pain and any other complications…"

"I'm okay, really." Clementine said.

Carlos shook his head. "Once the pain medicine kicks in, you can play in your room, but that is the most you're allowed to do today."

"But..."

Christa cut the child off. "He's right, Clem. It's for your own good."

Clementine frowned.

"Becca and I can come play with you later if you want." Sarah offered.

"Will you?" Clementine asked.

"Sure. I'll ask her." Sarah said.

"Okay. Thanks, Sarah." Clementine said.

"For now, you need to rest." Christa told the young girl.

Clementine wanted to protest, but her guardian spoke again.

"Rest first, then play." Christa said.

"Okay…" The child agreed.

"We'll come over later on, Clem." Sarah said.

Clementine nodded. She didn't want to rest, but she knew she wasn't feeling well enough to play right now.

She watched as Carlos and Sarah left the room.

Christa walked to the bed and pulled the blanket over the child, tucking her in. "Call me if you need anything."

"Okay, Christa."

She just hoped the medicine would kick in soon.

* * *

After only a few hours of walking Jane was already feeling exhaustion kick in. She could already tell she was going to dread being pregnant.

She was sure with the way things were going now she wouldn't reach the town until nightfall.

That was fine by her though. She was in no rush to get there.

Jane felt her stomach growl and decided to stop. She had been too absorbed in walking to stop for a lunch break. Hours had flown by since she left the deck that morning. She needed to eat something.

She knew going without food was bad for the baby, but Jane was so used to limiting her food intake in order to preserve supplies. She was going to have to get used to eating for two…

She was starting to realize that a lot was going to be different now that she was pregnant.

* * *

Clementine hadn't been tired, so she didn't think she would have fallen asleep. Yet somehow she did.

She was feeling better than that morning, although she did feel slightly dizzy as she sat up. Moving too quickly always made her dizzy now.

She reached to the night stand and grabbed her hat, placing it back on her head.

It was probably around lunchtime now, and having refused breakfast, Clementine was feeling hungry.

The child almost jumped when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." Clementine called.

The door opened and Christa walked into the room.

"Hey." Christa said.

"Hi." Clementine greeted back.

"Feeling any better?" Christa asked.

"Kind of…" Clementine said.

"Well, I made some lunch." Christa said. "And you got some visitors downstairs.

"Really? Who?"

"Come on and see." Christa said.

Clementine slowly climbed down from her bed, grabbing Promise she followed Christa out the room.

Once they got to the living room, Clementine was surprised to see Kenny, Sarita, and AJ.

"Someone wanted to see you." Kenny said, motioning to the baby.

"AJ!" The girl beamed. "How's my little goofball?"

The now four-month old baby smiled at Clementine.

"Can I hold him?" Clementine asked.

"Of course." Sarita handed the baby over.

"He's getting so big." Clementine said.

"He's nice and healthy. Doc took a look at him today and he's growing up well." Kenny said.

"That's good." Clementine said. She noticed the baby was holding a rattle which was covered in slobber.

The child furrowed her brows.

"What's wrong, Clem?" Sarita asked, noticing the girl's expression.

"He doesn't have any teeth, doesn't it hurt if he puts toys in his mouth?" Clementine asked.

"Not exactly." Sarita said. "When babies put stuff in their mouth, that's their way of feeling."

"Can't he feel with his hands?" Clementine wondered.

"He's still gaining control of his hands." Sarita said.

"But he's holding the rattle." Clementine pointed out.

"He can grip things, but he doesn't have the ability to control his fingers yet." Sarita explained.

"Oh…" Clementine said. "He's really cute."

"Yeah, he is." Sarita said.

"I hope my baby is cute too." Clementine said.

"I'm sure it will be. You're cute." Sarita said. "Your baby will be just like you."

"Carver says it's going to be just like him." Clementine said. "I hope not."

"Carver? Carver's dead, sweetie." Sarita said.

"I know. He told me in my dream." Clementine replied. "He tells me the baby's his and that I'm his. And he tells me the baby's going to be just like him. And that baby Lee is going to kill me."

Sarita was taken aback by the child's words.

"Clem …Don't listen to him. It's just a dream, remember?" Christa cut in.

"It's not just a dream. I've told you."

"Carver doesn't know shit." Kenny said. "Dead or alive, who gives a damn what he says."

"I guess…." Clementine said. "But it seems like he knows a lot. I'm worried he might be right."

"He's not. You ain't gonna die." Kenny said.

"You don't know that..." Clementine said.

"Hey, come on and eat. You got get some food in you." Christa said, changing the subject.

"Okay." Clementine handed the baby to Kenny before walking to the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Kenny demanded of Christa.

"She's been having… nightmares. I think they're lucid dreams." Christa said.

"So… what do we do about it…?" Kenny asked

"There's not much we can do… Other than talk and comfort her." Christa said.

"Poor kid…" Kenny sighed. "This is awful."

"Yeah… It is…" Christa sighed.

* * *

Not too long after Kenny and Sarita had took their leave with baby AJ. Becca and Sarah knocked at the door.

Clementine was glad to have her friends come over, especially since Christa wanted her to stay inside and take it easy for the day.

The three girls went to Clementine's room and sat around making origami figures.

Clementine and Sarah could tell Becca was annoyed by something, as each and everytime the girl made a single mistake with a fold she would crumble her entire paper up.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Clementine asked.

"Bonnie." Becca groaned. "She's always nagging about every little thing."

Becca was already starting to regret her decision to stay with Bonnie. The woman was always nagging her about everything. Where she was going, when she was coming back. It wasn't like there was much to do around there, the only place she ever went was over to Clementine's place, and Bonnie knew that.

She was sick and tired of Bonnie telling her what to do. She wasn't Shel. Therefore, Becca refused to listen to her.

"She's just trying to look out for you." Sarah said.

"Well, I don't need her to. I can take care of myself." Becca said.

The three were quiet for a bit, before Becca groaned. "This sucks, I wish there was somewhere we can hang out without the adults breathing over our shoulders."

"Maybe there is. The church is empty." Clementine said.

"Hey, you're right about that." Becca said. "That gives me an idea."

"What?" Clementine asked.

"I say we spend the night there. Just us three." Becca said.

"Becca, there's no way we'll be allowed to do that." Clementine replied.

Becca smirked. "Who's says we're gonna ask for permission."

"So what are we gonna do then?" Sarah asked.

"We're just gonna go." Becca said.

"You mean sneak out?" Sarah asked. "We'll get in trouble."

"Not if we don't get caught." Becca said. "We'll just sneak out."

Sarah frowned and shook her head. "I can't… That's bad."

"Of course, miss goody-two shoes wouldn't do it." Becca scoffed. "What are you, chicken?"

"I'm not… I just think it's a bad idea." Sarah said.

"You're a chicken. Just admit it." Becca said.

"I'm not going. I don't care what you say." Sarah said.

"What about you, Clem. You chicken too?" Becca asked.

"Am not." Clementine said. "…I'll go."

"Really?" Becca smiled. "You serious."

"Yeah, really." Clementine said.

"Alright good. Meet me there tonight. And don't chicken out." Becca said. "I'm gonna go get ready."

Clementine and Sarah watched her walk off.

"Clementine, you're not really going to go, are you?" Sarah asked.

"I am." Clementine said. "If I don't go she'll think I'm a scaredy-cat."

"But what if you get in trouble?"

"I won't…" Clementine said.

"Christa won't be happy if you sneak out." Sarah said.

"Which is why she won't know." Clementine replied.

"Clem… This isn't a good idea." Sarah said.

"Don't worry about me, Sarah. Everything will be fine." Clementine said.

"I hope so…"

* * *

Jane traveled for a few more hours before she stopped.

It would be getting dark soon, and she didn't want to travel at night.

She was sure she wasn't too far now. She'd probably get to the town by early morning.

She rested her bag against a tree and laid down beside it. She figured she should get some shut eye so she could be up bright and early tomorrow.

* * *

The house was quiet. Completely quiet. With only two of them inside it was hard to tell if Christa was asleep, but Clementine figured she would take the chance.

She had to be careful. Christa had already been pretty surprised when Clementine said she wanted to sleep alone that night.

She picked up Promise before hopping out of bed. She quietly tiptoed to her door. Peering into the hall, she waited a for a few moments before sneaking out the room.

She packed up a small bag with a few snacks, knowing cravings tended to get to her at night. Once she was done, she left the kitchen and within a few minutes she found herself standing outside in the dark. She closed the door behind her and turned on her flashlight. Slowly started towards the church where Becca was supposed to meet her.

It was hard not to feel anxious, walking alone in the dark. One of her greatest fears since Howe's had to be the dark. That was one reason why she couldn't sleep alone.

The child kept glancing around, almost expecting someone to pop out of the shadows. Holding Promise closer, she kept walking until she got to the church. Once there she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"About time you got here." Came Becca's voice.

Clementine sighed in relief.

"I'm surprised you showed up. I didn't think you would." Becca said.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Clementine walked inside, closing the door behind her.

"Did Christa see you?"

"If she did I wouldn't be here." Clementine said.

"True." Becca said. "So…. What's in the bag?"

"Snacks." Clementine answered.

"What? You're sharing, right?" Becca asked.

"It's not much. Why didn't you pack any?" Clementine asked.

"We were supposed to be sneaking out. I packed some blankets, not a buffet." Becca said sarcastically.

Clementine rolled her eyes, "Fine. I'll share."

"Great, what do you got in there?"

Clementine just handed the bag over. Becca quickly opened it up and started to pour the contents onto the ground.

The teen's eyes widened as she picked up a chocolate bar. "Where'd you get this?"

"Vince gave it to me." Clementine shrugged. "I get a lot of sugar cravings."

"I call dibs." Becca said.

"No way!" Clementine said. "You can't have it."

"Come on, Clem. It's been forever since I had chocolate." Becca said.

"Then we can split it." Clementine said.

"Great." That was all it took for Becca to open the candy packaging. She broke the chocolate bar in half, offer one half to Clementine.

"Too bad Sarah didn't come." Clementine said, taking a nibble of the chocolate.

"Forget her. We're going to have fun." Becca said.

"Doing what?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know. For starters, we gotta stay up all night. That's what people do at sleepovers." Becca said.

"Oh… Okay… Want to play a board game or something?" Clementine asked.

"Sure." Becca agreed.

Before long the two were chatting and laughing at jokes and old stories.

The two girls played different board games for hours until they were exhausted.

After a while Becca noticed her little friend yawning and rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Want to hear a scary story?"

"As long as it's not too scary." Clementine said, as she curled up on the ground with Promise, pulling a blanket over herself.

"The whole point of telling scary stories is to make it as scary as possible." Becca said.

"Isn't the world scary enough? I have bad dreams almost every night." Clementine responded.

"Come on. Don't be a baby." Becca said.

"I'm not." Clementine said.

"Then quit your bellyaching and let me tell the story." Becca said.

"…Fine." Clementine said.

Clementine only half listened to her friend's ghost story. To the eleven-year-old it wasn't scary, in fact Becca over exaggerated to the point that it was kind of funny.

The child was trying to stay awake, but was slowly drifting off.

"You can't sleep yet." Becca called.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Because it's a sleepover. You're supposed to stay awake!" Becca exclaimed.

"I can't… Baby Lee and I are ready for bed." Clementine said.

"You're no fun." Becca groaned.

Clementine didn't respond to the older girl. She was too tired to argue.

And before long the child was fast asleep.

* * *

The sun had barely risen when Clementine awoke. The church was still dark, but she could make out Becca's figure rest beside her, the teen was still asleep.

Clementine wondered what had woken her up so early, but when her stomach growl seconds later she knew. Her baby was demanding food. "Okay okay, I'll feed you…" She yawned and force herself to sit up. She reached for her bag, checking it for any leftover snacks. It was empty. "Thanks a lot, Becca."

She felt her stomach growl again. As much as she wanted to go back to sleep she knew she wouldn't be able to until she had eaten something. She recalled that the group kept the bulk of their supplies in the storage area of the church, she was sure there would be something to eat in there.

Clementine grabbed the small spare flashlight from her bag and turned it on. She got to her feet and started trudging towards the storage room. Lost in her thoughts and still exhausted from hardly sleeping, she didn't notice a figure in the back of the church slowly making his way towards her.

She continued walking, unaware of the presence behind her.

Once at the storage room, she started checking the supply boxes for something she could eat.

"You killed Natasha."

Clementine jumped and turned to face the source of the voice. "A-Arvo?" Seeing him was such a surprise that the girl literally stood motionless, trying to figure out why and when he had gotten there.

Clementine let out an almost imperceptible gasp as she noticed he was holding a gun in his hand. "Arvo… Wha- What are you doing?"

"You killed Natasha! You kill my sister!" Arvo said, trembling a bit.

"I… I didn't kill anyone!" Clementine said. "I didn't!"

"You killed my sister!" Arvo snapped. He raised the gun with a shaking hand, however much to Clementine's surprise, he aimed it at himself.

"W-What are you doing?" Clementine stammered.

Arvo didn't respond as he continued to shake, unable to keep the gun steady.

"Arvo…" Clementine took a step forward to stop him, but was forced to freeze in her tracks when he turned the gun on her.

"Don't move." Arvo said.

"P-Please… You don't have to do this… Just put the gun down." Clementine said, lifting her hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Don't move." Arvo repeated. "I don't want to shoot a little girl… You… You make me do this…"

"No… Arvo, just listen to me… You don't have to shoot. Everything will be okay. I'm sorry about your sister. I've lost people too, and it hurts, but it will be alright." Clementine said.

Clementine shifted nervous as Arvo kept the weapon trained on her. Her words didn't seem to be getting through to him. Panic rose in the girl and she shouted out, "Kenny! Christa!" hoping someone would hear her calls.

The second she screamed, Arvo's eyes widened in fear, and he pulled the trigger.

* * *

Jane set out a first light.

After she crossed the river she knew she wasn't far.

She could see the town in plain view up ahead.

The fence around the town seemed pretty secure. Jane noticed the wooded gate was secured with some type of wire. Rather than try to figure out how to open the gate, Jane decided it would be easier to climb it.

She did so with slight struggle. The first thing that came into view once she hopped to the ground was a large church.

That seemed like a likely spot for the group to stay.

Jane decided to check there first.

Head in through what seemed like a back door, she started searching throughout the building. It was so quiet it seemed like it was empty. Jane's eyes widened when a gunshot suddenly rang out.

The woman rushed towards the sound.

Coming to the front of the church, she noticed Becca, who appeared to have been startled awake.

The teen looked to her with a confused expression, "What are you doing here?"

Jane didn't bother answering as she asked, "What was that?"

Becca got up looking around.

"It sounded like a gunshot." Jane said.

Becca's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. "Clementine…" Becca rushed in search of her friend.

Jane followed after her.

It wasn't long before they found them at the storage area.

They noticed the bloody trail at the doorway. Clementine was grasping her upper arm with a pain expression, while Arvo stood, looking shocked by what happened.

Becca caught sight of the gun on the ground and sent Arvo a glare, "What did you do?!"

Jane walked over to Clementine and checked her injury.

The child was whimpering in pain. Pain seared her brain and her arm ached.

"It's okay…" Jane muttered. "You're gonna be fine. It's just a scratch…"

Clementine was surprised to see the woman. She wanted to ask why she was there, but the pain in her arm was all her brain could focus on.

Jane pressed against, Clementine's wound to stop the bleeding. She looked over to Becca and ordered the teen to go get help.

Becca ran to do so without hesitation.

Jane wasted no time pulling the child's shirt off, Clementine's eye grew widened and the girl immediately started to panic.

"N-No! Don't! Don't take my clothes off!" Clementine pleaded a look of terror in her eyes.

"Clem, stop, I have to see your arm. I need to know how bad it is." Jane held the panicking child steady, forcing her to sit down before crouching beside her. "I won't hurt you."

Clementine gave a slow nod.

Jane looked at the girl's arm. She was bleeding badly. She picked up the girl's shirt and pressed it against her wound. "You're going to be okay." She said once again. "It's just a _scratch_."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help, and thanks to Daisyfan5534 for helping with ideas.**_

* * *

Clementine's mind was hazy, she barely registered Jane's words as the woman assured her that everything would be okay. All she could feel was the searing pain in her shoulder.

Jane laid the child down, keeping pressure on her wound, "You're going to be fine..."

Arvo was surprised to see Jane, he hadn't thought he would see that woman ever again.

Jane didn't even acknowledge him as she continued to tend to Clementine.

Arvo watched on in shock before turning in running off with a solemn look on his face. He knew the group members were going to be pissed, he didn't want to think about what Christa or Kenny would do when they found out what happened.

Clementine whimpered, a look of pain on her face. She tried to bring a hand to her hand to her wound, but Jane stopped her.

"J-Jane..." Her words came out in a hoarse voice. "H-Hurts..."

"I know it does." Jane gave a grim look as she continued pressing Clementine's now blood-soaked shirt into the girl's shoulder.

She lifted the child slightly and check the back of her shoulder for an exit hold.

Clementine cried in pain as Jane moved her.

"Looks like the bullet went straight through." Jane noted, she laid the girl back down.

Clementine gritted her teeth in pain. "S-Stop it…"

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but I have to do this…" Jane said.

"I-It hurts!" Clementine whined. "Stop!"

"It's okay… You're fine… It's just a scratch, Clem…" Jane muttered to the child. She noticed the girl seemed dazed as she spoke to her.

Jane started asking Clementine questions to make sure she was coherent.

Clementine brushed the questions aside. "M-My baby..."

"What?"

"Is... Is my b-baby okay?" Clementine stammered out.

Jane's eyes fell on Clementine's stomach and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

Clementine looked to Jane, waiting for an answer. Loss of blood made the child feel lightheaded, she was barely conscious at this point.

"In here!" Becca's voice was heard.

Jane heard the rushed footsteps coming towards her.

Carlos and Christa quickly dropped by the girl's side.

"What happened?" Christa demanded, "What the hell happened?!"

"He shot her..." Becca muttered.

"Who?" Carlos asked.

"Arvo! Arvo shot her!" Becca said.

Christa's eyes widened. "Clem, you're going to be okay, you hear me. You're going to be just fine."

"He hit her shoulder... She should pull through." Jane said.

Christa raised a brow at Jane. "Who are you?"

"We don't have time for this. We need to keep her from going into shock." Carlos said, noticing the child was on the verge of losing consciousness.

"Yeah… You're right." Christa said.

"The bullet went straight through and I've stopped the bleeding." Jane said.

"Good…" Carlos dug through his medical back.

"Clem, just stay awake." Jane said. "You're going to be okay."

"No…" Carlos said as he withdrew a syringe from his bag. He filled the syringe with some anesthesia and inserted the needle into the child's arm.

Clementine yelped in pain.

"What are you doing?" Christa asked.

"I... I'm going to try to induce a coma." Carlos said.

"Wait, what?" Christa asked.

"I'm going to induce a coma." Carlos said again.

"What for?" Jane asked. "It's only a wound to her shoulder."

"This wound could be life-threatening. Her body is already under stress from her pregnancy." Carlos said. "She needs time to recover. Putting her in a coma will allow her to do so."

"How…How long is she going to be in a coma?" Becca asked.

"I can't answer that... As of now, it's a waiting game. I'm going to clean her wound, stitch it, and dress it." Carlos replied. "Once her wound has healed up, I'll gradually reduce the dosage of medication. Once the medication has stopped it won't take long for it to wear off. After it's worn off it's up to her to wake up on her own."

Jane drew her lips into a thin line while Christa shook with anguish.

They watch Clementine's eyes slowly flutter close.

"B-Becca… Why don't you head home?" Christa suggested.

"No way. I'm not leaving her." Becca said.

"Becca please…" Christa said.

Becca sighed, "Fine…" She turned and left the church.

"How long will it take for the medicine to wear off?" Christa asked.

"That will depend on her. Everyone is different." Carlos said. "There is a chance that she may not wake up, but... this is the safest way for her to recover."

"So... This is our best choice... Putting the kid in a coma?" Christa asked. "This is awful..."

"Her hormones are already acting up with her pregnancy and she's under a lot of stress. Adding this injury on top of that could give her a heart attack. She has a better chance of recovery if her brain is inactive." Carlos said.

Carlos took a deep breath and used some peroxide to clean the wound. After doing so he threaded a needle and began to stitch it. Even in her unconscious state Clementine gave a small grimace of pain.

After Carlos had finished stitching the front of the wound he had Christa and Jane hold the child up so he could do the same to the back.

Once he had finished stitching the wound he bandaged it up.

"You can take her home to rest…" Carlos said to Christa. "I'll come check on her later…"

Christa gave a small nod. She picked the little girl up, careful not to jostle the child.

Carlos looked over to Jane. "You should probably let the others know you're back."

Jane sighed, this wasn't what she had expect to come back to.

* * *

After Clementine's wound had been treated and dressed, they wrapped the child up in a blanket and Christa carried the young girl out of the church.

The minute Kenny noticed Clementine's injured form in Christa's arms, he panicked. He rushed towards them and began asking question after question, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

"She's been shot." Carlos answered.

"Shot? By… By who?" Kenny asked.

"Arvo…" Christa huffed. "He shot my girl…"

No one had the chance to say another word before Kenny stormed off in the direction of Arvo's home.

Christa didn't bother trying to stop him. As much as she wanted to shoot Arvo herself, Clementine was her main concern.

She continued towards the home that she and Clementine shared.

* * *

Arvo had rushed out of the church and to his house.

He was panicking, knowing he was in for it with the other group members.

When he got inside Mike raised a brow at him. "Hey, Arvo."

"It's... It's no good!" Arvo suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Mike asked.

"She made me! She made me do it!" Arvo said.

"Do what? What are you talking about?" Mike questioned, looking confused.

"The little girl!" Arvo said.

"What little girl?" Mike asked. "You're not making any sense, man."

"I... I no mean to hurt her." Arvo stammered.

Mike's eyes widened. "What...? What did you do?"

"I shoot her..." Arvo dropped his head as guilt swamped him.

"Who? Who did you shoot?" Mike asked.

"Clementine." Arvo answered.

Mike's heart dropped. He had hoped the kid wasn't being serious, but he knew he was.

They were both startled by a sudden banging on the door.

"Oh no..." Arvo muttered.

"What?"

Mike's question was answered when they heard Kenny's voice yelling at them to open the door.

Arvo shook his head, looking panicked. "Don't open door!" Arvo exclaimed.

Kenny continued banging on it.

Mike and Arvo stood frozen as Kenny tried to force his way inside.

"OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!" Kenny yelled.

Only moments had passed before Kenny, realizing they weren't going to open the door, kicked it open with all his strength.

Without waiting a second, Kenny darts toward Arvo. Arvo's eyes were wide as saucers and full of immobilizing panic.

"You son of a bitch!" Kenny spat.

"Kenny, don't man!" Mike rushed over.

"Don't WHAT?" Kenny inquired. "Do you have any idea what this asshole did?!"

"He didn't mean it! This shit is crazy!" Mike exclaimed.

"Why? Because your friend here turned out to be a shitbag after all?!" Kenny inquired.

"He's just a scared kid. He made a mistake, haven't we all?!" Mike said.

"That mistake might've costed my girl her life!" Kenny snapped. "And this asshole is gonna pay for it!"

With bottled-up rage brewing through him, Kenny wasted no time in punching him.

The blow had enough force to send the boy crashing to the ground.

"Kenny!"

Kenny ignored Mike. For so long he tried not to focus on sadness, tried not to focus on anger. Sarita, Clementine, and AJ were what kept him going. The thought of losing that kid, left him unable to control himself. The pain in his chest was cutting off his air. He didn't want to imagine little Clementine's life being snuffed out. Losing one child was the worse pain he'd felt. He had lost a piece of himself the day his son passed away.

He wouldn't be able to recover if Clementine was gone too.

Now he was fueled by anger as he continued punching the boy repeatedly.

Mike's eyes widened and he started screaming at Kenny to stop.

Kenny didn't stop. With Arvo pinned to the ground, he kept hitting him.

Blood was running down Arvo's face as he struggled to get away.

"WHAT THE FUCK, KENNY?!" Mike rushed over to intercede. He grabbed Kenny who quickly pull free.

"Get the FUCK off me!" Kenny yelled at him.

Having heard the crash, Luke rushed downstairs. "What's going on? What the fuck happened?"

Luke's gaze fell on Arvo who was still on the ground, blood dripping to the floor. "What did you do?"

"This is only the beginning! I'm gonna fucking KILL him!" Kenny said.

Luke and Mike both moved in front of Arvo, blocking Kenny's from getting to the boy.

"Kenny, back off!" Luke said.

"You're really going to defend him after what he did?" Kenny growled.

"What did he do?" Luke asked.

"He shot Clementine!" Kenny said.

Luke felt his heart skip a beat. "W-What?"

Kenny repeated him, "He shot her! Probably killed your baby too!"

"What?" Luke felt like his head was spinning, he was overwhelmed with grief. "The… The baby is… dead?"

Mike knelt by Arvo who was struggling to stand and helped the boy to his feet and over to a chair.

"I don't know…." Kenny said. "I don't know much yet… Other than that, she was shot."

"Clem's okay, right? Is the baby okay?" Luke asked.

"I don't fucking know." Kenny said. "Last I saw her, she looked unconscious."

"Fuck… Oh fuck…" Luke muttered. He felt sick to his stomach. He need to see her. He needed to know she was alright.

"Luke, help me. Get him something to clean himself up." Mike urged.

Luke sent Mike a look, then drifted his gaze back to Arvo. The beaten boy looked away from him, his expression full of regret.

Luke turned away, placing a hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go check on Clem."

"Alright..." Kenny said, his voice shaky. "Let's go."

* * *

Fear absorbed Christa's thoughts and took control of every inch of her body.

If Clementine didn't wake up... It would be all Arvo's fault.

She knew she couldn't trust that boy, but she hadn't expected him to do something like this. Poor little Clementine didn't deserve this.

Christa stayed by the young girl's side as Carlos left to check in on Sarah and tell her about her friend's condition.

Christa had dressed the child into some comfortable pajamas with the help of Jane who Christa still knew little about.

"She's looks peaceful." Jane observed.

"Yeah… She does…" Christa said, she took the girl's tiny hand into her own.

"How's she been coping…?" Jane asked.

"What do you mean?" Christa asked back.

"With the pregnancy…"

"She's tough… She's handling it. Just like she'll get through this." Christa said.

When they heard a knock at the front door, Christa didn't even move.

Jane noticed the woman had no intentions of leaving Clementine alone. "I can, uh… get that for you."

Christa just nodded in response.

"Alright…." Jane stood up and headed over to the door to answer it.

For a heartbeat she froze, too shocked to speak or move. Almost on instincts, she tried to close the door, however, Kenny jammed his foot in place and planted one large palm flat on the door, holding it open.

"Where's Clementine?" Kenny demanded.

"In… In her room." Jane answered slowly.

Kenny brushed past her without another word.

Luke stay in place, studying her for a long excruciating moment, before following after Kenny.

Jane gave a sigh. She followed him back to Clementine's room.

"How is she?" Kenny asked immediately.

"She's…. in a coma." Christa replied. "She's lucky Jane was there to help…"

Kenny and Luke both looked horrified.

"What?" Luke gasped. "What the hell happened?"

"Carlos said that it would be best to induce a coma so she could heal…" Christa said.

"And you let him? What the hell does he know?" Kenny asked.

"A lot more than we do. He's a doctor!" Christa said.

"This is your idea of taking care of her? Letting her get SHOT by that fuckin' Ruskie?!" Kenny hissed.

"I didn't let anything happen!" Christa said. "I didn't know he was going to shoot my girl!"

"A bullet wound to the shoulder is hardly ever fatal, the kid's fine." Jane said.

"You stay outta this! You're the reason those Russian fuckers came after us in the first place!" Kenny snapped at her.

"Don't try and pin this on me." Jane said.

"Lay off, Kenny. She helped Clem, if she wasn't here who knows what would've happened." Luke said.

"Look, don't start alright. I'm sure you're real excited to have your girlfriend back." Kenny said.

"What's your problem? If you came here to start some shit, then you might as well leave." Christa said.

"I came here to make sure Clementine was alright, because you're not fit to take care of her." Kenny replied.

"Fuck you." Christa snapped. "I've been doing this on my own. Not one of you have helped me look after her, so for you to call me unfit?"

"Look, everyone settle down." Luke said. "Kenny, it's not Christa's fault."

"Like hell it's not. She wanted to be Clem's guardian, and look after the kid. She has the chance and this shit happens." Kenny said.

"How dare you! Don't forget you people are the ones who LET her get raped!" Christa spat angrily.

"We didn't let that happen, damn it!" Kenny snapped.

"GUYS, Enough!" Luke said. "We just stand around and argue, wasting energy. Meanwhile a little eleven year old girl is laying in a coma. We need to think about her, not ourselves."

"Luke's right. We need to think about Clem." Jane said.

"Is that what you were doing when you tried to push her off the deck?" Kenny inquired.

Christa's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah, this psycho tried to push Clementine down a staircase." Kenny informed.

"I wasn't trying to hurt her. I was trying to help her!" Jane said.

"By pushing her? You weren't going to hurt her- you were gonna KILL HER!" Kenny said.

"Why would I try to kill her?! I was saving her! Saving her from the torment of having Carver's kid." Jane argued.

"You weren't saving anyone. You don't care about that girl. You don't care about no one but yourself." Kenny said.

Jane shook her head. "That's not true."

"Yeah it is." Kenny said. "You thought that baby was gonna be a burden and that's why you pushed Clem. It's not 'cause you're worried about her."

"Fuck you." Jane spat. "You don't know anything about me."

"Stop! Everyone get out!" Christa said, having heard enough.

The other three adults looked to the woman, all mutually curious as to whether anyone was going to take her seriously.

"Get out," Christa said again. "I want you all out of here now. I'm done with your complaints and your arguing. And most of all, I'm done with you."

"We're not going anywhere." Kenny says.

Christa feels the urge to punch him.

"Christa, we're sorry, alright... Let's just calm down. We're here to make sure Clem's okay. We wanna help."

"I don't need your help." Christa huffed. "You want to stay, fine, but if I hear another argument you're all out."

The three others exchanged looks, but nodded.

* * *

"Let me take a look at you, kid." Mike said.

Arvo moved the cold rag from his face and Mike looked him over.

"Damn... He coulda killed you. The fuck is wrong with him?" Mike muttered.

"The girl…" Arvo said. "I killed her…"

"You didn't kill her, man. I'm sure she's fine." Mike said.

"Her fault…" Arvo muttered. "I not mean to."

"It's not. It's not Clementine's fault." Mike said. "She's just a kid, man. She didn't deserve that..."

"I… I not want to shoot… She make me." Arvo said.

"How did she make you?"

Arvo lowered his gaze, not responding.

"What did the girl do wrong?" Mike asked.

"She… She killed Natasha." Arvo said.

"She didn't kill her. Christa's the one who shot her." Mike said. "And that was because she turned. You didn't have to shoot the kid. You could've killed her…"

"I not mean to." Arvo said.

"I know…" Mike said. "Just calm down… We'll find a way through this. Everything will be okay."

* * *

The news of the dreadful calamity spread through the town like fire.

The next day Carlos decided to call the group members for a meeting. With the exception of Arvo who stayed with Mike, and Sarita who had offered to look after Sarah and Becca, the group gathered at the church.

Christa hadn't shown up either.

Carlos was concerned when he had went to check in on Clementine and found that Christa hadn't sleep at all the night before. She had been glued to Clementine's bedside.

Everyone was surprised to see Jane back, but despite confused looks, and questions of why she had come back, their reaction wasn't as bad as Jane had anticipated.

Everyone was too worried about Clementine at the moment to focus on Jane's unexpected return.

"How's Clem doing?" Bonnie asked.

"She was shot in the shoulder. Fortunately, there are no abdominal injuries, and as far as I can tell the baby is okay. However, to be on the safe side I've induced a coma." Carlos said.

"When she gonna wake up?" Wyatt asked.

"I can't answer that right now." Carlos said.

"Then why the fuck did you put her in a coma?" Kenny asked.

"Her body is already under a lot of stress as it is. Her being awake could put her at risk of having a heart attack." Carlos said. "Fortunately, her injuries aren't too severe. Once it starts healing, I'll reduce the dosage of medication. Hopefully within a week or so, I'll be able to completely stop the medicine. But it's imperative that she has had some time to heal before she wakes up."

"So, what do we do?" Bonnie asked.

"For starters, I need a group of people to go to the medical center and try to find a nasogastric tube." Carlos said.

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"It's a feeding tube." Vince said. "The medical center's on the other side of town, right?"

"I'll go." Luke said.

"I can tag along." Vince said.

"Me too. I'll pitch in as much as I can." Wyatt said.

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but Jane beat her to it. "I'll go too."

Luke was surprised by Jane's offer.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Kenny inquired.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jane asked him.

"Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't want you two lovebirds to get "distracted"." Kenny huffed.

"That won't happen." Luke said.

"Yeah. And we're just supposed to believe that shit?" Kenny scoffed.

"No one cares what you believe." Jane said.

"No one asked you! I don't know why the fuck you came back." Kenny said. "You're a child killer!"

"Kenny, stop." Luke said.

"Fuck you! She's a fuck child killer and you all know it!" Kenny exclaimed.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Jane retorted.

"You would've. If I hadn't been there you would've pushed that little girl off the deck." Kenny said.

"I told you already. I was helping her." Jane said.

"Like hell you were!" Kenny said. "There's no way I would put an ounce of trust in you. Not for anything."

"Guys, just calm down." Vince said.

"She's the one that's going off." Kenny said.

"Because you won't listen to a thing I'm saying!" Jane huffed.

"No one cares what you have to say. All you do is blurt out lies. You're a fuckin' liar." Kenny said.

"And you're a jackass." Jane retorted.

"What's that? You're talkin' into my bad ear, sweetheart." Kenny replied.

"Seriously guys, this is ridiculous." Russell said. "Just stop."

Jane glared at the group. "You assholes are gonna let that baby kill her! At least I've tried to help!"

"You didn't help shit!" Kenny snapped at her.

"Dear lord… y'all act more like children than the children!" Vince muttered.

"Why are you sticking your nose in other people's business?" Kenny asked him.

"Why are you so damn eager to fight with everyone?" Vince responded.

"Guys, come on…" Russell said. "Vince, don't fight with him. It's not worth it."

"Russ, your peacemaking skills don't work. So just let up." Bonnie scoffed. "This group runs on arguments. We have too many men around to not have them."

Wyatt raised a brow at that. "That's a bit sexist, don't you think?"

"Not at all." Bonnie said. "I mean, a majority of the arguments are started by the men."

Russell gave her a bewildered look. "You guys get into arguments too."

"But they're almost always fueled on by you men." Bonnie said. "Every man I've known is always tryin' to let each other know how tough they are. Put 'em in their place. Buncha dominate, alpha male, horse-shit. And it always ends the same way."

"Not everyone's like that…" Luke said.

"Oh, please. You get in your fair share of pissing matches too." Bonnie said.

"Really?" Luke asked, a bit surprised at her accusation.

"Are you kidding me, yes." Bonnie said. "There's fighting going on all day, every day."

"I can agree with that. Everybody around here's always acting like fools…" Vince said.

"What was that?" Kenny inquired.

"Everyone, please…" Russell said. "Just stop…"

Carlos sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tight for a couple of seconds, clearly annoyed by the arguing.

"This isn't my fault. Just because he can't see from my point of view doesn't mean he has to start an argument." Jane said in a defensive way.

"No one can see from your point of view, you can't justify trying to kill a kid." Kenny grumbled.

"I didn't try to kill her." Jane huffed. "I guess I can't expect you to see from my view anyway. I bet you're having trouble seeing a lot of things these days."

The others were taken aback by her comment.

"Jane, really?" Bonnie said.

"You shut your fuckin' mouth." Kenny snapped at Jane. "You never should've came back. Nobody wants you here in the first place!"

"Well, I'm here regardless. I did nothing but try to help that kid." Jane said. "And I don't regret anything about it."

"Enough! Would you guys quit being so selfish. It doesn't matter who goes! That poor little girl is in a damn coma right now, Carlos asking for someone to get her a feeding tube, and here you two are arguing!" Vince snapped. "I don't care what bad blood you have, but for that little girl's sake, pull yourselves together!"

Both Kenny and Jane fell silent at that.

"Look, let's just settle down…" Russell said. "It's a tough time. We can't fight right now."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds before Carlos sighed once more. "Are you all done?"

"…Yeah…" Luke said. "So, we need a feeding tube… Anything else?"

"Maybe a bedpan." Carlos said.

"Bedpan?" Luke lifted a brow.

"We got it…" Jane said. "Is that it?"

"As far as what Clem needs now, yes. I do have other concerns though…" Carlos said.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm worried about Christa… Honestly, I don't think she's capable of caring for Clementine at this moment…" Carlos said.

"Why do you say that?" Luke asked.

"She's been so worried about Clementine, she hasn't left her side since yesterday." Carlos said. "She hasn't eaten or drank anything all day. And I highly doubt she slept last night. I think it's good that she's focusing her attention on Clementine, but she needs to take care of herself as well."

"You're right… But you know she's protective of Clementine, she's gonna want to look after her." Vince said.

"I know. She can look after her, but she can't do it alone." Carlos said. "I'm obviously going to be helping with Clementine's injuries, but I suggest that someone stay with her for the time being."

"I don't know if Christa would be comfortable with that…" Luke said.

"Well I'm not comfortable leaving her alone." Carlos said. "She's not going to be help to Clementine if she's not going to take care of herself."

"So, what should we do?" Luke asked.

"Maybe we can rotate going over there to check in." Bonnie said. "We all gotta pitch in. Christa can't do everything alone."

"That's a good idea." Vince said. "Christa's under a lot of stress as it is, the more help she has the better."

"I'll stay with her until you guys return with the nasogastric tube." Carlos said.

"And what if we don't find it?" Wyatt asked.

"If you don't we'll still be able to feed her, we'll just have to be careful to measure her food and fluid intake." Carlos said.

"Alright… We'll do our best to find it." Wyatt said.

"That's all I can ask." Carlos said.

* * *

"Are you okay, Becca?" Sarah asked her clearly upset friend.

"I feel like this is my fault." Becca muttered.

"It's not. You didn't know that Clem was gonna get hurt." Sarah said.

"But she did. Thanks to me. I just figured it would be fun." Becca sighed. "I'm tired of making mistakes…"

"Sweetie, Clementine didn't get hurt because of you." Sarita tried to reassure the girl.

"Then whose fault is it?" Becca asked.

"It's not your fault." Sarah said.

"Then whose fault is it?!" Becca demanded loudly.

AJ started wailing, frightened by her yell.

"Arvo should've never aimed the gun at her." Sarita picked the frightened infant up and rocked him. "It's not your fault…" Sarita said to Becca.

"Shut up…." Becca muttered.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened. You didn't know Clementine was going to get shot." Sartia said.

Becca glared at her. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"It's not your fault, sweetie." Sarita said.

"Shut the fuck up!" Becca punched the wall causing Sarah and Sarita to flinch.

The room fell quiet, aside from AJ's cries.

Sarah felt as if she wanted to cry herself as she asked Sarita, "Is Clementine going to be okay?

"She's going to be fine." Sarita said.

"Don't lie..." Becca huffed.

"I'm not." Sarita said. "Clementine's tough. You know that."

"Just because she's tough doesn't mean she's invincible! Shel was tough and now she's dead!" Becca exclaimed.

Sarita tried to calm the baby, while also trying to calm Becca down. "Becca... calm down… I know you're upset but-"

"No, you don't know… You don't know anything about me. I won't... I won't be able to handle it if Clem dies. If she dies because of me, or if that baby dies because of me…" Becca said.

"She's not going to die. I promise." Sarita said.

"I don't want to hear your empty promises." Becca replied.

Sarita slowly handed the baby to Sarah. With a bit of hesitation, she made her way towards Becca.

The woman tried to hug Becca, wanting to console her.

"Don't…" Becca choked. "Don't touch me dammit!

"None of this is your fault…" Sarita said in a comforting tone.

"Then whose fault is it? Whose fault is it that the world is so fucked up that someone would shoot a little girl in a church?" Becca asked. "Whose fault is it?"

Sarita frowned, not knowing how to respond.

"It's so unfair... So unfair..." Becca said, voice cracking.

Sarita hugged the girl, Becca no longer fought it. "It's okay, sweetie. It's okay."

* * *

The rest of the morning Carlos stayed with Christa, looking after Clementine.

Christa didn't leave Clementine's side other than to use the bathroom. She stayed with the young girl, taking care of Clementine's needs while unintentionally neglecting her own.

"Eat. She's in stable condition. She'll be fine." Carlos said, placing down a bowl of oatmeal on the nightstand for Christa.

"I trust your instinct…" Christa said, but didn't touch the bowl of food.

"Than what's the issue?" Carlos asked.

"I'm… I'm just waiting for her to wake up." Christa said.

"She's not showing any sign of infection and she has no fever, so that's good. I just want the injury to be somewhat healed before I allow her to wake up." Carlos answered. He approached Clementine's bedside. "I'm going to change her bandages…"

"Alright..." Christa stood to help hold the child up while Carlos got fresh bandages from his bag.

The doctor carefully removed the bandages from Clementine's wound. He then used a cotton ball and some peroxide to dab it around the wound.

Even in her unconscious state, Clementine gave a small whimper.

Christa frowned. "This is my fault… If I had kept a better eye on her, none of this would have happened."

"Regardless of how good an eye you keep on her, the fact is that children are unpredictable. Therefore, she's going to get into stuff no matter what. Clementine helped me realize that you can't hold a child's hand forever, that they have to learn… Which is why I started teaching Sarah how to shoot." Carlos said.

"Clementine is in a bad state right now. You're right, I can't hold her hand forever. But to be honest, I have never held her hand. That's probably why she wants to be so independent now…. She hasn't been treated like an actual child in so long…" Christa said.

"Clementine's not a normal child." Carlos replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Christa questioned looking a bit offended by the statement.

"I mean this little girl, is a lot tougher than she looks." Carlos said.

"I know she is…" Christa agreed.

"First day we met her, Luke had brought her back to the cabin with a pretty bad bite on her arm. Our group was under a lot of stress, so we did make some decisions that weren't necessarily thought through…" Carlos said.

"What did you do?"

"…We locked her in a shed." Carlos admitted.

Christa's eyes grew wide. "Are you kidding me right now? You wouldn't lock your daughter in a shed."

"My daughter is not like Clementine." Carlos simply replied.

"That doesn't matter, a child is a child." Christa said. "How long was she in there?"

"I can't say exactly, but within an hour, she had managed to escape from the shed, break into the cabin, steal our supplies, and suture her own arm." Carlos explained.

"That definitely sounds like Clementine." Christa murmured.

"I've said all that to say, that Clementine is a tough kid. She's going to get through this." Carlos said.

"Yeah… I know she will…" Christa said.

"So eat…"

Christa didn't need much more urging. She slowly picked up the bowl of oatmeal and started to eat.

* * *

As the morning drifted into afternoon the small group set out to gather the needed supplies from the medical center.

The walk was well over a mile and Jane felt uneasy being around Luke. She almost regretted offering to come along.

Once they had arrived at the hospital they checked it for walkers. There were several unmoving corpses scattered around the parking lot, but that was the worst of it so far.

They managed to get inside without a problem.

As they stepped foot in what looked to be a reception area, they noticed broken furniture, broken glass.

"Shit..." Wyatt said. "I can't imagine what happened to all these people."

"I think we have a pretty good idea..." Jane said.

The corridor was illuminated by only the light which came from the broken windows. As they walked through the hospital they noticed several abandoned wheelchairs, gurneys, and IV stands.

They were sure the hospital had been looted of medicine, seeing how trashed the place was.

"Maybe we should split up?" Vince suggested.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Luke asked.

"Well… We'll be able to find what we need faster. We'll meet back in the reception area." Vince said.

"Alright… I guess that's our best choice." Wyatt said.

Jane knew it would be a good opportunity to tell Luke about her pregnancy, but she could barely bring herself to look at him, let alone talk to him.

Wyatt and Vince both noticed the tension between the two so Wyatt took it upon himself to offer to go with Luke, which left Vince and Jane to go together.

* * *

"So… what's the deal between you and Jane?" Wyatt asked.

Luke didn't know how to respond to that. "What do you mean?"

"I know you two had a thing before... What's going on?" Wyatt said.

"We didn't have a "thing". We were never actually together, stuff just... happened." Luke said.

"Quite a few times, huh?" Wyatt pointed out.

Luke sighed, "It was stupid..."

"...Do you like her?" Wyatt asked.

"I like that she knows what she's doing, has her head on straight." Luke said.

"So... in other words you like her?" Wyatt replied.

"I don't know. I don't know her all that well. And I can't figure her out. I mean she really lays it on the line, but... at the same time, she doesn't show you anything that counts. And I'm never quite sure if she just doesn't like people, or just plain doesn't like me." Luke said.

"Yeah, but I guess a lot of people keep to themselves nowadays." Wyatt said.

"Jane... As far as I can tell… She's a decent person with a lot of baggage..." Luke said. "Anyway, what is this? Some kind of inquisition?"

"Just making conversation." Wyatt shrugged.

"Well, honestly, I'd rather not talk about this…" Luke said.

"Alright. Is everything okay with you?" Wyatt asked.

"You could say that..." Luke said.

"Well, if you need to talk, I'll listen." Wyatt offered.

"Thanks, but I think I'd prefer not to right now." Luke said. He had too much on his mind. And he'd rather not think about anything bad at the moment.

"Yeah… I understand."

* * *

"So, what do you think of this place?" Vince asked Jane as the check on of the hospital rooms.

"I think it's nice. I can tell you guys put work into this place." Jane said.

"Yeah, we've worked our asses off to make this place comfortable to live." Vince said.

"That's probably a problem…" Jane muttered.

"What do you mean?" Vince asked.

"I think you guys are getting too comfortable." Jane said. "Are you forgetting what's outside the walls."

"No one's been comfortable for ages. It's not like we're kicking our feet up and relaxing." Vince said.

"I'd be a lot more concerned if you were." Jane said.

"But we all need a break. We've worked our asses off trying to make this place at least a little safe. We know it's not perfect, but were not gonna stay on our toes anticipating the worse." Vince replied.

"You should have learned to _always_ keep on your toes." Jane responded.

"We can't live with our guard up twenty-four hours a day. Why not enjoy the good things– while they last?" Vince said.

"Because nothing is gonna last. That's the problem. Everyone needs to be prepared for the worse. Let's start with those kids, if anything happens they won't survive. They should know how to defend themselves." Jane said.

"Becca knows how to handle herself pretty good. And as far as I can tell, Clem knows how to deal with walkers. Carlos has been teaching Sarah how to shoot, she's getting better." Vince said.

"Shooting isn't enough anymore. They need to know how to survive and how to handle not only walkers, but people. I had faith in Clem..." Jane said.

"Had? You don't have faith anymore?" Vince inquired.

"How can I? She's pregnant. You know as well as I that the baby is gonna kill her. She's digging her own grave and you guys are watching her dig." Jane replied.

"You don't know that." Vince said.

"I do... I know it more than anything. So why have hope for something that's inevitable." Jane said. "We need to be ready in case anything goes wrong. We can't hide away behind a barricaded fence, hoping for the best forever."

"I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. But I can't live in fear of what might happen tomorrow or the next day. And you shouldn't either." Vince said.

"There might not be a tomorrow."

"Exactly. That's why living in moment is more important. We can't change the mistakes of yesterday or plan for tomorrow, but I'm not gonna think about what ifs." Vince said.

"I guess that's fair enough." Jane said before sighing. "I can't imagine how many people died in here… How many kids… _babies_ …"

"Yeah… That's hard to think about…" Vince replied. He furrowed his brow at her statement.

"I know…" Jane said. "But it's probably better that way. This world isn't made for children."

"This world isn't made for anyone. Not anymore." Vince said.

"True…"

Vince looked to the woman with a raised brow. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends what you're asking." Jane said.

"…Why'd you come back?" Vince questioned.

Jane sighed, she didn't want to answer that question. "That's a hard question… I'm not completely sure anymore."

* * *

"I think we're good, man. We got what we need." Wyatt said.

They had managed to gather some spare medications as well as bandages, and the bedpan.

"Hopefully Vince and Jane found the feeding tube 'cause I didn't see one in here."

Luke gave no response as he continued looking through cabinets.

"You good, man?" Wyatt called.

"Huh?" Luke responded, as if he had no idea Wyatt had been talking to him.

"You alright?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah." Luke nodded.

"Wanna head back?" Wyatt suggested.

"Not yet." Luke said.

"What are you looking for?" Wyatt questioned.

"Stuff for the baby." Luke responded honestly.

"I think we have more than enough stuff for the baby." Wyatt said. "Come on."

Luke sighed, "Alright."

With both parties having finished gathering supplies, they met up at the front of the medical center. They had been successful in gathering supplies. There was a small run-in with walkers when they had entered, but they had been able to easily take them out.

The walk back to the other side of town was silent. To Jane the walk felt excruciatingly long, deathlike. Jane found herself constantly looking to the ground and then back to Luke as they walked. Luke on the other hand kept his gaze locked forward.

Several times Jane wants to break the silence, but she can't bring herself to do so.

It's not until they get back to the main part of town that Luke finally speaks. "We should get this stuff to Carlos."

"Wait." Jane spoke, gripping his arm to stop him.

She tugged him to face her.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"We need to talk." Jane said.

Luke warily eyed her. "What about?"

"Something important..." Jane said.

"What if I don't want to talk?" Luke sounded worn-out.

"We're going to have to eventually. Why not now?" Jane said.

"…Right now?" Luke asked.

"Yes." Jane said. "Can you guys give us a minute, please?"

"Sure... Uh we'll go bring the supplies to Carlos." Wyatt said.

Jane nodded as Vince and Wyatt walked off, waiting until they were out of earshot.

"What's this all about? You leave without telling, I haven't seen you in months. What could you possibly want to talk about?" Luke asked.

"…Why are you scared to talk?" Jane asked.

"I'm not scared." Luke argued.

"Then what's wrong?" Jane questioned.

"I just… There's a lot of things I want to say. But there's probably not a whole lot I can say while maintaining my composer." Luke said.

"You got something to say, go for it." Jane said. "Don't hold back."

Luke seemed hesitant for a moment.

"Go on." Jane urged.

"I think Kenny was right, about you being selfish..." Luke started.

"You can say that." Jane said. "I guess you're used to that though. You're in a group full of egotistical assholes."

"And the fact that you're proud of that, says all that needs to be said about your personality. You don't even realize how many people you've hurt. After everything that happened, you just decide to up and leave? Did you even think about how anyone else would feel?"

"I thought it would be better that way…. I know you're pissed about me leaving, but I want to make things work." Jane said.

"The least you could've done was told me. If you didn't want to be part of the group, fine. But you didn't have to play with my emotions." Luke replied.

"Luke, I wasn't."

"Really? Then why'd you leave? More importantly, why are back?" Luke inquired. "What did you want to talk about?"

Jane wanted so desperately to tell him about the pregnancy, but the words wouldn't come, they were stuck in her throat. Instead, she found herself muttering, "It's nothing… Forget it."

"Jane…"

Jane cut him off. "We should check on Clem."

"Jane." Luke said firmer.

"Christa's probably going to need some help with her…" Jane continued.

"Jane!" Luke exclaimed.

"What?" Jane hissed.

"What do you mean "what"? What's going on with you?" Luke asked.

"Nothing." Jane shrugged.

"What did you want to talk about?" Luke asked her.

"I can't remember… It must've slipped my mind." Jane said.

"Are you serious?" Luke asked.

"Completely." Jane said. "If I remember I'll let you know."

With that Jane turned and briskly walked away

Luke watched her go with a heavy sigh.

* * *

"You alright?" Mike asked as he approached Arvo's bedside.

Arvo didn't offer a response. Both his eyes were black, and even though the swelling on his face had gone down a bit he still half a dozen different shades of purple from the beating he'd taken.

"Damn... He really did a number on you..." Mike muttered.

Upon Mike's pleading with Carlos to take a look at the boy, the doctor had reluctantly come over.

After looking over the boy, and offering him some aspirin to help with pain, he advised Arvo in the calmest manner to leave town.

Mike knew why Carlos gave the warning most of the town members were debating on kicking the boy out or letting him stay. Or in Kenny's case, killing the boy.

To Mike, the boy was just a kid. He didn't deserve all this and it would be inhumane to send him out there on his own.

Kenny had already done enough to the poor boy, there was no reason to kick him out.

"I leave…" Arvo muttered.

"What?" Mike asked.

"I leave?" Arvo asked now.

"No, man. Where are you gonna go? It's suicide out there." Mike said.

"He said to go…" Arvo said.

"Don't listen to Carlos. Don't listen to any of them. You have as much right to be here as they do." Mike said. "Look, we'll figure something out, kid. We just gotta lay low for a few days."

He felt Arvo's safety would be at risk if he left. He knew Kenny wouldn't hesitate if he got the chance to shoot the kid. Arvo just had to stay away from the group until things cooled down.

"Everything will be fine." He assured Arvo.

* * *

As the days went by Jane was aware of the baby inside her growing bigger day by day. Besides morning sickness every so often, she felt fine. When the morning sickness did kick in however, it was awful. It made her worry even more about Clementine. The last time she had saw that kid, the girl was throwing up every morning, Jane could only imagine things had gotten worse for the little girl as her pregnancy progressed.

Jane and Luke hadn't really talked much since she returned. Jane found it hard to look at him. She knew she had to tell him about the pregnancy, but she kept trying to find reasons to put it off. Jane had plenty of opportunities to tell him, she just couldn't bring herself to do so.

Each time she saw him she felt tempted to tell him about the baby, but something always stopped her. It was as if part of her thought that if she just acted like it wasn't happening it would go away. Still, she knew the longer she waited, the harder it would be to tell him.

She almost hoped for a miscarriage, at least then the baby dying wouldn't be her fault, and that way she wouldn't have to tell Luke.

It didn't help that Luke was constantly fretting over Clementine and her baby, despite the fact that the child was making a quick recovery.

Between Kenny, Luke, and Christa, Jane didn't know who was worse when it came to worrying about Clementine right now. But seeing how stressed Luke was at the moment made her even more hesitant to bring up the pregnancy.

They needed to focus on Clementine now. Not her.

She tried not to draw attention to herself. Not to raise suspicious.

However, her dreaded morning sickness was starting to blow her cover.

Jane had dropped by Christa's home to check in on Clementine. Although the other woman didn't trust her, she let her inside.

The two of them sat beside Clementine's bed, talking. Jane was curious how the little girl was handling her pregnancy, but Christa's responses were always so vague.

"She's tough. She'll get through it. Just like everything else." Christa said.

"You don't worry that it will kill her?" Jane asked.

"No… Clementine's gonna be just fine. I know it." Christa said.

Jane opened her mouth, but stopped when she found herself hit with a sudden bout of nausea.

Christa noticed Jane suddenly looked ill and asked, "Are you alright?"

"E-Excuse me a moment." Jane replied, and fled to the bathroom.

Christa feeling worried followed after her. She stood in the doorjamb of the bathroom.

Jane had just finished vomiting and was using some paper towels to clean her face.

"Are you okay?" Christa asked.

"Yeah…" Jane replied, a little breathless.

"You sick?" Christa asked from where she stood.

"You could say that…"

"Is it a cold? I don't want Clementine to get sick…" Christa said.

"Don't worry, it's not contagious." Jane replied.

"What is it then? Are you sick?" Christa asked again.

"Yeah, but only in the mornings."

That statement was the dead giveaway.

Christa's eyes widened.

Jane noticed her look and raised a brow, "What?"

"You're pregnant?" Christa asked.

Jane didn't even try to deny it as she sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me… I know the signs…" Christa said. "Who's the father?"

"It's Luke…" Jane answered, standing upright.

"Have you told him?" Christa asked.

"Not yet…" Jane admitted.

"Why not?" Christa asked.

"I can't…" Jane said.

"He's going to find out eventually." Christa said.

"I know… I just can't tell him. Not yet." Jane replied.

"Then when?"

"Soon, but… now's not the time." Jane said.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Christa asked.

Jane shrugged. "I'll keep it to myself, until I feel it right to let him know."

"When's that going to be?"

"I don't know…" Jane said honestly.

* * *

A little over a week had passed since Clementine was first put into a coma, now finally to everyone's relief Carlos said that he was ready to allow Clementine to regain consciousness.

The day he stopped her medication he called another meeting at the church.

This time Mike had joined them. And Clementine wasn't the only topic of their discussion.

"What do we do about Arvo?" Vince asked.

"What do you mean what do we do? He's a person, not an animal." Mike said. "Leave him be."

"I say we kick him out. I mean, he shot a kid." Vince said.

"We can't do that. His just a kid himself." Bonnie argued.

"After all the bullshit he's put us through, he needs to go." Kenny said.

"He made a mistake. Haven't we all?"

That mistake could've killed Clementine." Jane said.

"How's the girl doing?" Mike asked Carlos with a sigh.

"Much better now… She's still unresponsive, but she'll probably wake up soon. The medication has to wear off in her system." Carlos replied.

"Look, Arvo didn't mean to shoot her." Mike said, trying to reason with the group. "We can't just throw him out."

"How did he not mean to shoot her?" Russell asked. "He didn't accidently pull the trigger."

"He didn't plan on shooting her." Mike said.

"But he did!" Kenny spat. "If I had it my way, that kid would be dead."

"Oh, we know where you stand. You beat the hell outta that boy!" Mike said.

"He deserved it." Kenny stated.

"He doesn't deserve any of that." Mike said. "You people are messed up."

"People who shoot little girls are messed up. And people who defend them are worse." Kenny said. "Let me just get one thing clear, if he stays, he better keep his guard up and be real careful around me."

Mike frowned, Arvo had put himself in a horrible situation and defending the boy was only making the group look at him like a traitor.

* * *

Mike headed back home after the meeting was adjourned and to his surprise, Arvo was gone. He searches through the house but was unable to find the boy.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the kid must have taken off.

He checks the supply stock in the house and found stuff was missing.

"Shit..." Mike muttered.

There was no way that kid would last out there. No way...

* * *

The day after Carlos had stopped the medicine, Clementine still hadn't wakened up.

Christa was worried, but Carlos simply told her the child would wake once the medicine wore off.

Christa felt completely exhausted, she had spent the last nine days that Clementine had been in a coma getting little sleep, putting her needs second to Clementine's.

She needed some rest. She was running on empty.

She decided to head to her room to sleep, however, just minutes after she had left the room, a loud scream was heard.

Christa flinched and rushed back to Clementine's room to see the child was awake, but the girl was clearly in panic mode.

* * *

When Clementine awoke she found herself in a bed. Blinking, she tried to clear the fuzziness her eyes saw. Groggily she adjusted her eyes

She had a long plastic tube implanted up one of her nostrils.

A jolt of fear made her sit upright.

She looked around, pulling the tube from her nose. She was confused and disoriented.

 _"Good morning, honey."_

Clementine flinched at the sudden voice and looked around. In the corner of the room she spotted the man who haunted her nightmares. Clementine trembled as Carver stepped closer to her.

"Sleep alright?" He asked.

"Stay back..." This had to be a dream. There was no way he could be here while she was awake.

 _"You were out for quite a while." Carver said._

"Stay back!" Clementine said louder.

 _"Don't be like that honey. You belong to me!" Carver said._

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Clementine shouted.

Seconds later the door flew opened and Christa entered the room with a concerned look on her face.

"C-Christa?"

"Clementine… Oh my gosh, you're awake." Christa said, walked over to the child.

Clementine furrowed her brows. "Why wouldn't I be awake?"

"You don't remember?" Christa asked.

"Remember what?" Clementine asked.

"…Arvo shot you." Christa reminded.

Clementine was quiet as memories flooded back to her. "Is my baby okay?"

"The baby's fine." Christa said. "How do you feel?"

Clementine didn't respond for a moment. She looked to where Carver had stood a moment ago, to find he was no longer there.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I... I'm fine." Clementine stammered. She reached a hand to her bullet wound. It stung a bit. "It hurts…"

"It's healing pretty good. The bullet went straight through. We're lucky Jane showed up when she had." Christa said.

"Right… Jane's back…" Clementine muttered.

"Why don't you try to rest some more." Christa suggested. "I'll stay right here with you."

"Okay…" Clementine said. She didn't tell Christa about seeing Carver when she woke up. She just hoped she wouldn't see him again.

* * *

Hearing word of Clementine waking up Jane decided to pay the child a visit.

When she knocked on the door she was greeted by Christa.

"Hey." Jane said. "I uh... wanted to see Clem. How's she doing?

"She's just resting. What do you need to see her for?" Christa asked.

"Just wanted to check on her, talk to her..." Jane said.

Christa arched a brow and asked, "About what?"

"…Something important." Jane said.

"Have you talked to Luke?" Christa asked.

"Not yet..." Jane said.

"Don't you think he's the one you should be talking to?" Christa said.

"I will..." Jane said.

"Is that right?" Christa asked.

"Yeah... I plan to talk to him today." Jane said.

"That's good."

"So... Can I talk to Clem?" Jane asked again. "It won't take long."

Christa sighed and let her in. "Just try to make it quick. She needs to rest."

"Fair enough." Jane said.

Christa allowed her into the house and led her to Clementine's room. She knocked on the door, and waited for the child's little voice to call, "Come in."

Christa opened the door and Clementine looked up from the drawing she was doing. "Clem, someone's here to see you."

Jane stepped into the room. Clementine watched her with a suspicious look.

"Hey, you." Jane said.

"Hey…" Clementine mumbled.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Christa said. She left the room, leaving the two alone.

"How are you feeling?" Jane asked the child.

"Been better..." Clementine said.

"Look… I know you might be pissed at a me about… well, everything that happened…" Jane said.

"Why did you come back?" Clementine said.

"I thought it would be better if I left, but I was wrong… If it helps, the thing I'd usually do is walk away for good… but I didn't."

Clementine huffed and turned her attention back to her drawing. "What did you want to talk about?"

"More like I wanted to bring you something..." Jane said.

"Like a present?" Clementine asked.

"If you want to call it that." Jane shrugged.

Clementine watched the woman dig into her pocket and pull out a pill bottle. Clementine raised her brow, feeling a sense of deja vu.

Clementine sent her an untrusting look. "What is it? The last time I saw you, you wanted to kill my baby. Is that what this is for?"

Jane didn't respond. She offered Clementine the pill bottle, the same bottle of pills that she couldn't bring herself to take.

Clementine shook her head in disbelief. "I don't want it."

"Clem, I'm trying to help you." Jane said.

"You're not, okay?" Clementine said. "I don't know what you're doing, but it's not helping."

"I saved your life, and it wasn't so you could die a few months later by a baby." Jane said. "Just listen to me for once."

"I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'm not going to kill my baby." Clementine said.

"It can't feel, Clem." Jane said.

"Carlos said the baby has a heartbeat at around twenty-four days. Sometimes I can feel it move. It's alive. And even if it can't feel pain, that doesn't give me a reason to kill it." Clementine replied.

"Clementine…"

"I felt it move, okay?! It's alive! It can feel! I won't kill it! I won't!" Clementine exclaimed, covering her ears.

Jane realized the girl didn't want to talk anymore as the child refused to uncover her ears. "Okay, Clem. Fine… I'll leave you alone."

Jane opened the door and walked out.

"Everything okay?" Christa asked as Jane walked by, she had heard Clementine's yelling.

"We were just talking..." Jane said.

"Well, I think Clementine needs to rest." Christa said.

...You're right... Thanks for letting me talk to her." Jane said.

Christa waited for the other woman to leave before going into Clementine's room. "What did she say?"

Clementine just shook her head.

Christa sighed and wrapped the child in a comforting hug. "It's okay... It's okay..."

* * *

Jane's visit had left Clementine in a noticeably glum mood. It didn't help that she was stuck in her room most of the day. Hours after Jane left Clementine tried to entertain herself by drawing, but she was getting stir crazy.

Before long she found herself pacing and checking the windows. She was so bored.

She glanced out the window yet again, but this time something grabbed her attention. Luke and Jane were outside, talking about something. She couldn't hear what they were saying and she was curious.

She watched them for a few moments, trying to figure out what they could be talking about when suddenly she was surprised as Luke pull Jane into an embrace.

The child frowned and backed away from the window. She walked to her bed and sat down, feeling the slightest bit of jealousy course through her.

* * *

The minute she spotted him, Jane settle cold fingers on Luke's arm, grabbing his attention. "We need to talk..."

"Talk?" Luke asked.

"Yes…" Jane said.

"What is all this about?" Luke questioned.

Jane took a deep breath struggling for a moment to find the words.

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but didn't get the chance to.

"I'm pregnant." Jane finally blurted out, looking away.

Luke gawked at her, then sent her a blank stare as the word slowly set in. "Wait... What?"

"I'm pregnant... It's yours..." Jane took a step back and looked at Luke for a reaction as he slowly let the magnitude of her words sink.

"But... But..." A kid... His kid. He couldn't catch his breath. Pressure banded around him, closing in from all sides. Luke's eyes grew wide. "How... How far?"

"Three months." Jane responded. "And a half…"

"Why... Why didn't you tell me before?" Luke asked.

"I didn't know before... I couldn't know before. But I'm telling you now…" Jane said. "I have no one else... And I don't want my kid to grow up without a father..."

Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Oh fuck... Fuck!"

"Look, I know this is sudden... but-"

Luke interrupted. "But what?"

"But we'll figure something out..." Jane said.

"And this is... it's my baby? You're sure about that?" Luke asked. He felt like an asshole for asking, but he had to be sure.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure." Jane said.

"I have a reason to be somewhat skeptical about what could've happened over these last few months." Luke said.

Jane shot him a look. "Really?"

"What do you expect me to think? You break my heart, taking off without a word and then you show up months later claiming you're pregnant with my kid." Luke said.

"I expect you to not be an asshole!" Jane snapped. "I came all this way to find you, because if I'm having a baby I don't want it to grow up without a dad. If you're not gonna be there, then there's no point in having it."

Luke grabbed her arm. "What are you saying."

"I didn't ask for this, okay? It's bad enough that I don't want a kid to begin with, but I refuse to have a kid with a deadbeat father." Jane yanked her arm from his grip and tried to walk off.

Luke sighed, calling out to her, "Jane, wait."

"What?" Jane asked.

"What do you want to do…? Do you want to keep the baby?" Luke said.

"I tried to get rid of it, but I couldn't. I know it's just a fetus, but it was like something was stopping me." Jane said.

"Well… If you want to keep it. I'll do what I can." Luke said.

"You sure?" Jane said.

Luke nodded. "Yeah. It's my kid, right?"

Frustration coursed through her and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. Why did he keep asking her that? "Yes." She answered.

"Are you…" Luke noticed her brushing away tears and asked, "Are you...crying?"

Jane felt like a moron, she never cried. Why was she doing it now. "N-No... I just got something in my eye." She inwardly scolded herself for coming up with such a stupid excuse.

"Jane..." Grief filled his face as he reached to brush her tears away. "I'm sorry for being an asshole..."

Jane didn't respond. She didn't want to cry, she felt completely stupid for doing so.

Luke pulled her into a hug, waiting for her tears to stop.

 _His baby..._

Luke felt numb with shock.

It was bad enough that Clementine was pregnant.

Of course he would take responsibility. That's just the type of guy he was. He just didn't want to screw up Clementine or Jane's kid.

To say he was nervous was a huge understatement.

* * *

About ten minutes passed of Clementine laying in bed, staring at the ceiling before she heard a knock at the door and seconds later Luke entered her room.

Luke was surprised that the young girl barely offered him a glance. "You okay, kiddo."

"Are you going to marry her?" Clementine suddenly asked.

"Who?" Luke asked back.

"Jane...?"

"What?" Luke gave her a confused look.

"You were hugging her. You two played the sex game before too… Are you going to marry her?" Clementine said.

"No Clem." Luke replied. "I'm not."

"Why'd she come back?" Clementine asked.

"…She had something she needed to tell me." Luke said.

"What is it?" Clementine asked.

Luke was hesitant to answer, but he knew people would find out sooner or later. "She's pregnant…"

The child's eyes grew wide. "W-What?"

"She's pregnant with my baby." Luke said.

Clementine said nothing, she curled up in a ball on her bed.

"Clem?" Luke called. "You okay."

"Why don't you like me…?" The girl sniffled.

"We've been over this… You're a kid." Luke said.

Clementine didn't speak for a moment. "I want to be alone… Please…"

"Alright, Clem… I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Clementine didn't respond to him.

As he left the room Clementine felt her glum mood intensify. She stayed curled up, clutching to Promise.

 _"Everything alright, sweet-pea?"_

Clementine recognized her former guardian's voice anywhere, she didn't have to look to know it was him. "I just want him to like me..." She said.

 _"He does like you." Lee said._

"No. I mean like-like." Clementine said.

 _"Clem, you're just a little kid. He can't like you that way." Lee said._

"Carver did." Clementine replied.

 _"Carver was sick." Lee took a seat on the bed. "Don't think about him."_

"Okay… I'm glad you're here." Clementine said.

 _"Always." Lee said._

* * *

After seeing Luke leave only minutes after showing up, Christa knew something wasn't right. Clementine always wanted to be around Luke, for her to reject spending time with him, she had to be really upset. Christa decided to have a word with the child.

As she approached Clementine's door she could hear the child talking. She pressed closer to the door. It sounded as if Clementine was talk to someone, but Christa couldn't hear anyone answering her.

Christa gave a little tap on the door and walked in.

Clementine was sitting on her bed, a sketch pad in her lap, looking innocent.

Christa looked around the room, but couldn't see anyone else in there. "Clem, who are you talking to?

Clementine didn't answer right away. "Luke left…" She muttered.

"Yeah, he did…" Christa said. "You were talking to someone. Who was it."

"…Lee." Clementine said.

Christa furrowed her brow, "Lee?"

"Yes. He was right here, but he had to go."

Christa noticed the girl was completely serious as she said this and it worried her…

* * *

By the end of the week Christa was completely concerned about Clementine. Not only was the girl low-sprited, but there had been several occasions that Christa had walked in on the child having a conversation with someone who wasn't there.

Christa was glad that Carlos and Sarah had been coming over daily. She hoped that playing with Sarah would help ease Clementine's mind while she talked to Carlos.

Sarah went off to Clementine's room while Christa voiced her concerned about Clementine.

The doctor had determined that the child was experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations. He told her it could be cause by stress and anxiety, or simply be a lengthy reaction from the medicine he had been giving her during her coma.

"It's nothing to worry about. They'll probably stop in a few days." Carlos said.

"Alright…" Christa said. "Is there anything I can do now?"

"Just don't feed into it." Carlos said. "That will only make things worse."

The two discussed other things such as Jane's pregnancy, which had been announced to the town, and Arvo's departure.

After about an hour they decided to go check in on the girls. When Christa knocked on the door there was no response, both adults exchanged looks.

After a few seconds of knocking, Christa opened the door…

* * *

"Why doesn't Becca want to see me? Did I do something wrong?" Clementine asked Sarah as the two of them started playing go fish.

"No. She just feels guilty." Sarah sighed.

"About what?" Clementine asked.

"About you getting shot." Sarah said.

"But that wasn't her fault." Clementine said.

"I think… she just needs some time, Clem…" Sarah said.

"Okay then…" Clementine said.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked. "Does your shoulder hurt."

"Not much…" Clementine said. "I'm okay… Kind of."

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked.

"I've been… having these feelings…" Clementine said. "I kind of like Luke…And I want him to like me back."

"Clementine, you're just a kid…" Sarah said. "Grown-ups don't date kids."

Clementine sighed before placing down her playing cards. "Let's play something else."

"Like what?"

Clementine was quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you want to practice kissing?"

Sarah gasped at that. "Wha-What?

"W-Would you try it with me, Sarah?" Clementine asked, taking Sarah completely by surprise. "Please."

"I... I don't know… What if we get in trouble?" Sarah asked.

Sarah was floored by the request. She didn't know what to say. Clementine was her best friend. She really cared for her, but she certainly never thought about kissing her that way.

Honestly, she'd never even thought about kissing a girl before. Or anyone for that matter.

Still... her suggestion did seem kind of interesting. Weird, but interesting.

"Come on, Sarah, it'll be fun!" Clementine said.

"I… I don't know…" Sarah said. "I don't… I don't want to be in trouble."

Clementine continued to plead with her friend and Sarah felt her resistance start to fade away.

"…Okay…" Sarah said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yes…" Sarah said. She was nervous, but she wanted to try. Especially since her first kiss had been stolen by Carver… She wanted to be able to kiss someone at her own free will.

Clementine brightened.

"H-How… How are we gonna do this?" Sarah said.

"Well… Do you want to kiss me or do you want me to kiss you?" Clementine asked.

"I… I don't know."

"I'll let you do it…" Clementine said. She didn't want to push the older girl.

Sarah watched nervously as her little friend closed her eyes, waiting for her to make the first move.

Sarah was trembling inside as she slowly moved towards Clementine, bringing her face to hers. The two girls met lips in a soft, slow kiss.

They sat there for a moment, their lips pressed together. Clementine deepened the kiss, much to Sarah's surprise.

And suddenly the door opened.

The two girls jumped apart and look to Christa and Carlos who are standing in the doorway, looking complete shocked.

Before a word can be said Carlos storms towards them. With his face flushed with anger and he roughly seizes Clementine's arm, yanking her away from his daughter.

Sarah's eyes widened as she sees her father raise his hand as if ready to strike her friend.

"Don't you dare!" Christa snapped.

Realizing what he's about to do, Carlos quickly lowers his hand. However, he's still shaking with anger.

Charging forward, Christa grabbed Clementine from his grip. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Keep your hands off her!" Christa snapped, she quickly pulled the child into a protective hold.

Anger pursed Carlos's mouth as he said in a crisp tone, "I want you to stay away from my daughter!"

Clementine started to protest. "B-But…"

"Stay away from her!" Carlos yelled. "You're a no-good trouble-maker. I won't allow you to manipulate my child any longer. You won't drag my daughter down with you."

Clementine trembled a bit. "I'm sorry."

"Leave her alone! You're upsetting her!" Christa snapped at him.

"I don't care!" Carlos said.

"Dad, stop!" Sarah called. "Clementine's my friend!"

"Not anymore! You're not allowed around her anymore she's a bad influence on you!" Carlos then turned his attention back to Clementine. "My daughter means everything to me. You stay away from her. I don't want you putting any crazy ideas in her head."

"Carlos!" Christa snapped.

Carlos ignored Christa. "Let's go, Sarah."

Sarah hesitated. She felt bad that her dad was being mean to Clementine.

"Now." Carlos said.

Sarah got to her feet, sending Clementine an apologetic look. She followed her father out of the room and out of the house.

Christa held Clementine close as the young girl drew in a shaky breath.

"Why'd you kiss her, Clem?" Christa asked.

"I was practicing for Luke... I… I didn't force her… I promise." Clementine's voice was shaky as she spoke. "Are… Are you mad at me?"

"No, Clem… I'm not mad." Christa said with a sigh.

"G-Good. I don't want you to hate me too."

Christa felt her heart clench. "No one hates you, sweetie. I promise no one hates you."

Christa worried about the girl. She didn't want the child to fall into depression.

She stayed with Clementine until the child eventually got tired and wanted to sleep.

While Clementine napped Christa made some soup for the girl to eat when she woke up.

It hadn't been a full hour before Clementine woke up inconsolable and screaming hysterically. Christa tried her best to calm the child, asking her what was wrong.

"He says I'm a whore! He says I'm a whore!" Clementine exclaimed. "Make him go away!"

"Clementine, please, no one's there."

Clementine was trapped in her own hallucination, not hearing a word Christa said. "I belong to no one! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Clementine, it's me… It's just me. No one's here but us." Christa pulled the child into her arms, trying to calm the girl.

"He won't leave me alone, Christa... He won't go away. Why won't he go away?"

* * *

That night Christa hardly slept at all. Clementine was so paranoid about Carver showing up that she begged for Christa to stay with her.

She didn't want Christa to leave her side for a minute. She so scared she wouldn't even walk down the hall to the bathroom on her own.

It was only when she was sure that Clementine was sound asleep that Christa went to bed herself.

When morning came, Christa was roused as She felt Clementine get up from bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked in a groggy voice.

"…With Luke?" Was Clementine's response.

"He's here?" Christa asked, still half asleep.

Clementine paused for a moment. "Yes…"

Christa took her word, she figured she had just been in such a deep sleep that she didn't hear the knock on the door. "Sure… Go ahead. Stay inside, okay."

"I will." Clementine said.

The girl climbed off the bed and Christa closed her eyes.

She didn't know how long had passed until she woke again. With a groan, she got out the bed and went to check Clementine's room, only to find it was empty. Christa forced herself not to panic, Clementine was with Luke, she was fine.

She opened the door and stepped outside. She made her way over to Luke's house and knocked.

"Morning." Luke greeted as he opened the door.

"Where's Clem?" Were the first words out of her mouth.

"Clem? I don't know…" Luke said, surprised by the question.

"She said you came over." Christa said.

"When?" Luke asked.

"This morning." Christa said "I assumed she was with you.

"I didn't come over…" Luke said. "Not since the other day…"

Christa's face fell. "Oh no… Oh my gosh."

"Christa, calm down." Luke said.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I got to find her!" Christa snapped.

"We'll find her. We can't get worked up." Luke said before sighing, "Come on, I'll help you look… This might be partly my fault anyway..."

"Why do you say that?" Christa asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing. She's just not too happy about the situation with me and Jane..." Luke said honestly.

"Jane said something that upset her the other day. She wouldn't tell me what." Christa said.

"Probably about the baby…" Luke sighed before asking, "I'm gonna grab some weapons… Better safe than sorry."

Christa waited impatiently for him to grab his machete and a gun which he offered to her. "Thanks."

Luke simply nodded. "Let's go."

The two spent the whole morning looking for Clementine. Hour upon hour ticked by and there was still no sign of the girl.

They knocked on door after door, asking the group member if they knew where Clementine was.

Clementine had wandered off before so Luke tried not to be overly concerned. He was sure the kid was just fine.

By midday they still hadn't found the child. Now they were extremely worried. They had checked everywhere they could think, from the empty houses to the park. The other group members had pitched in on the search, but they were still coming up empty handed.

They continued searching for her until they eventually stumbled upon what appeared to be a school. They noticed a group of walkers roaming around by the entrance of the building. They also noticed the two unmoving walkers on the group. If it was Clementine that had killed them it meant the child had a weapon on her. Neither of them trusted Clementine to be alone with any kind of weapon.

"Shit... I haven't seen that many of them in forever..." Luke muttered.

"She must be trapped in there." Christa realized.

"She'll be fine. She's good in situations like this." Luke said.

"We'll clear a path to the entrance. You take out the ones on the right, I'll take out the ones of the left." Christa said.

"Sounds good." Luke said.

Christa and Luke focused their efforts on getting rid of enough walkers to make it to the school.

If Clementine was inside, they only hoped the child was safe. How she managed to get pass all the undead creatures was beyond them.

After some time, they managed to clear the pathway to the school. Luke tried the door, finding it was unlocked, but blocked by something.

Luke banged on the door, while Christa held off approaching walkers.

"Clem?! Clem, you in there?!" Luke called out, hoping the child would hear his voice and open the door.

There was no response.

"Get that damn door opened Luke!" Christa demanded.

"I'm trying!" He pushed and pushed, until he finally managed to get the door open far enough to get in. He ushered Christa inside and quickly followed after her.

The two took a moment to catch their breath.

Christa scanned the area and caught sight of something familiar, sitting on top of one of the desk that had been blocking the door. She picked up the stuffed animal. "This is Clem's."

"Holy shit…" Luke muttered.

"Clementine! Clementine, where are you?!" Christa called.

"We gotta be quiet. There might be more lurkers in here." Luke said.

The searched each section of the school. Classrooms, closets, cafeteria, and gym.

Twenty minutes after the search began they still hadn't found her. "Where the hell is she?!"

"She's gotta be in here somewhere..." Luke said.

There were still a few classrooms they hadn't check.

Christa took a deep breath and nodded.

They headed to the next classroom and opened the door.

The second they spotted Clementine, Christa rushed towards the young girl. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You got Promise!" Clementine said.

"You left him in the hallway." Christa said.

"Yeah. He was going to watch for walkers." Clementine replied.

Christa just huffed, kneeling to the child's level. "Clementine, what are you doing here?"

"...Drawing." The girl said.

Luke looked around the room, the floor was scattered with papers. Papers with drawings, made by little Clementine.

The first few drawings looked to be simple depictions of herself, but the more he looked the more disturbed he felt.

In some of the pictures she had drawn out her sexually abuse encounter, while in others she had drawn herself bleeding and broken.

"C-Clementine," Luke called.

The child looked over to him. "Yes?"

"You... You drew all this?" Luke asked.

Clementine nodded.

"W-Why?" Luke stammered.

"Why not?" Clementine replied.

Luke picked up the child's sketch book and flipped through it. The drawings became dark and more ominous as he kept turning the pages. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the drawings.

"Do you like my pictures, Luke?" Clementine asked.

Luke didn't respond. He couldn't respond. Instead he offered the sketchbook to Christa, his hand shaking.

Christa raised a brow and took the book. As she looked through it her face paled. "Clementine, is this the stuff you've been drawing?"

Clementine didn't respond.

Luke and Christa were both worried. Luke looked around the room and noticed the chalkboard had various words written on it. Words like "whore", "slut", and other putdowns.

"Wha-What the fuck…?" Luke breathed.

"Can we go home now? My feet really hurt, my back's killing me too." Clementine complained.

"Y-Yeah, Clem..." Christa closed the child's sketchbook and handed her Promise. "We'll head back home."

She was concerned for the girl's mental state. The constant drama wasn't helping either, Clementine needed an environment where she could recover, and Christa was starting to think this town wasn't it…


	20. Chapter 20

_**Well, here's the next chapter.**_

 _ **There's a few things I want to address.**_

 _ **1) Someone suggested that I set an update routine, to be honest, I don't think I'm going to because I wouldn't want to say I'm going to update on a certain date and not be able to.**_

 _ **2) I know you guys want updates more often, but quicker update would mean shorter chapters.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks everyone for your reviews, and please enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Christa carried the young girl the distance back to their area of town.

With her body aching, Clementine had barely been able to walk even half the way. Luke and Christa were surprised the child made it to the school on her own in the first place.

Still, they were most concerned about her drawings.

Luke held onto Clementine's sketchbook, as they walked back. Christa had wanted to leave the book behind, but Clementine had pleaded for them to bring it, saying she wanted to draw some more.

At the child's urging, Luke reluctantly took the sketchbook. He was still completely taken aback by what the child had drawn.

Christa thought about bringing the disturbing pictures up to Carlos, but after he had gone off on the child the day before, she didn't think that he'd be much help.

Besides, Carlos was a doctor, not a physiatrist. He wasn't going to always have the answers.

Eventually, they made it back to the town and the second Christa placed Clementine on her feet, the young girl found herself locked in a hug.

"You're such an idiot." Becca scolded.

"Oh, so now you're talking to me." Clementine scoffed, pulling out of her friend's embrace.

"Don't be like that." Becca said.

"Be like what?" Clementine said. "You didn't want to talk to me before. What's changed now?"

"We were worried about you, damn it!" Becca snapped. "You're so stupid, you know that?"

"Thanks." Clementine said. "It's so nice of you to insult me, after avoiding me for so long."

Becca shot the younger girl a look. "We were worried. No one knew where you were."

"I was just drawing, it's not a big deal." Clementine said.

"Clementine… It is a big deal, you can't wander off on your own." Christa said.

"I wasn't on my own." Clementine said.

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.

"Promise was with me." Clementine said.

"Promise…" Christa knelt down to the child's level. "Promise isn't real, Clem."

"Well, he's not fake. He's my friend." Clementine said.

"He's not real. You know that." Christa said, taking grip on the child's shoulders. "If something went wrong and those walkers got into the school, you would have been in serious trouble! Promise can't help you!"

"But Lee can!" Clementine said.

"Lee's dead." Christa said. "Lee's been dead for a long time."

"He was with me! He won't let anything bad happen to me! He's the only one who cares about me!" Clementine exclaimed, jerking away from Christa's hold.

Christa huffed, "Clementine-"

"I don't want to talk." Clementine said. "I'm tired…"

"Alright, fine. We'll get you to bed." Christa said. She was trying not to be impatient with the child, reminding herself the girl's hormones were running amok.

"I'll let the others know she's alright…" Luke said, hand Christa the child's sketchbook.

Christa hesitated to take it, but did so. She decided she would rip out all the pictures that she found disturbing and get rid of them.

With her free hand, she took Clementine's hand. She brought the girl back to the home they shared and led the child inside.

"How about you eat something before you go to sleep?" Christa said.

"Okay… I want some rice and… and I wish we had fries…" Clementine said.

"We don't have any fries, but I'm sure we have chips, would you like those instead?" Christa asked.

"Yes, please." Clementine said.

"Sure." Christa said. She proceeded to make the child's meal while Clementine took a seat on a chair.

Once Christa had finished preparing the rice and rummaged through their supplies for a small bag of chips, she brought the food to Clementine and sat beside the child.

With a small, "Thank you." The girl began eating.

"Clementine… Can I ask you something…?" Christa asked in a gentle voice.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

"It's about those pictures… the ones you drew…" Christa said.

"Don't you like them, Christa?" The girl's question was innocent, as if she found nothing to be wrong with her drawings.

"No, Clem. No, I don't." Christa replied.

"But why not?" Clementine asked.

"Because… They're not… nice pictures… You shouldn't draw things like that." Christa responded.

"Why?" Clementine questioned.

"Why did you?" Christa asked.

"Well… Because… it felt good. It made me feel better to draw them." Clementine said. "Like cutting… That made me feel good too, but I promised I wouldn't do it until my baby is born."

"No… You're never going to cut again, remember?" Christa said.

"What can I do then?" Clementine inquired. "What can I do to make the hurt go away."

"Injuring yourself is not going to make the pain stop, Clem." Christa said. "You can't inflict pain upon yourself to get rid of the pain you feel."

"You don't understand, Christa… It's the only thing that keeps me from feeling numb. I try to be happy, but the more I try the more I feel like I'm lying to myself…" Clementine said. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong… Your feelings are all normal… You need an outlet. A positive outlet." Christa said.

"How can I find positivity when everything around me is so negative?" Clementine asked.

"You're making yourself miserable. You don't want to live like that. I won't let you." Christa said. "What do you think Lee would say if he saw you hurting yourself or writing those horrible things about yourself?"

"He already knows. He doesn't like it…" Clementine said. "But… But I don't care what other people think. It makes me feel better. There's not much else that can make me feel… good anymore."

"You have to change your way of thinking, Clem… All this pain and stress isn't good for you…" Christa responded.

"I can't. If I'm not feeling pain, I don't feel alive!" Clementine said. "The pain makes me feel like a person. It reminds me that I'm not an object or a toy. I need to hurt."

Christa sighed.

"You don't understand… No one understands me…" Clementine muttered, lowering her gaze.

"It's not that, Clem…"

"Then what is it?" Clementine asked.

"I just don't like seeing you hurt so much." Christa replied.

Clementine didn't respond as she went back to eating.

The girl made it obvious that she didn't want to continue the conversation.

"Well… Can I ask you something else?" Christa said after a moment.

"Okay…"

"How do feel about… leaving?" Christa asked.

Clementine was silent for a moment. She hadn't been expecting that question, and she didn't know how to answer it. "I… I don't know…"

* * *

For Arvo, leaving seemed like his best option. From the moment he left town he found himself wondering if he was making the right choice.

He didn't know where to go. He had enough supplies to last for a while, but he was now alone. He knew things would be hard.

He decided to head back to the trailer park. At least he had a good idea of where that was.

Half way there, he found himself stopped by what he assumed to be thieves.

Held at gunpoint and outnumbered, Arvo tried to reason with them. With dread coursing through him, he tried to come up with a plan.

When they asked him about his group he was honest, telling them he didn't have one.

They didn't believe him.

Arvo decided that maybe if he told them where the group was, he could get them off his back. "They… They are at town…"

* * *

When Troy had watched the truck drive off months ago, he was certain he wouldn't make it. He had no supplies, no weapons, he didn't know what to do.

For a moment part of him regretted doing what he did to Clementine. Until he realized he didn't. If he hadn't gotten caught, he knew he would do what he did again in a heartbeat.

He decided to spend the night at the house he was at.

He had headed out in the wee hours of the morning. Without any idea of where to go, he started trudging down the road.

He walked for hours, his legs growing stiff as the slow miles passed. He walked until the sun was starting to set and the temperature was dropping.

Troy knew it was dangerous to travel in the dark, especially unarmed. He didn't want to spend the night in the open with only the feeble comfort of a fire.

Lucky for him, after only a while longer of walking, he had stumbled upon a small ramshackle town.

He was checked for weapons and then let in without a problem.

After only a few days of staying in the town, Troy decided it was the perfect town.

A town run by men, a town with no rules, a town where people minded their damn business. What more could he ask for.

Months living in that town, and Troy was convinced life couldn't get better. That was until a few days ago when the town had suddenly been raided and overrun with the dead.

Many of the people were wiped out during the attack.

The remaining townsfolks panicked, not knowing what to do. Until Troy spoke up, making an offer to bring them to shelter. Under the condition that they did everything he said.

Having no other choice, they agreed.

They spent days on the road, Troy dealing with the complaints of the men who weren't used to travelling so much.

Troy felt good being the leader to these men, having power over people. He had to enjoy it while it lasted, knowing that once they got to Howe's it was back to living by Bill's rules.

He was sure that Bill would allow him back into town once he saw all the manpower Troy was bringing back. He hoped he would be able to convince Bill that the incident with Clementine hadn't happened, that Bonnie had just went off of what Clementine said.

"How much farther?" One of the older men asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"We're getting close, Vaughn." Troy said.

"We've been walking for hours man. We gotta stop soon." Another man said.

"Martin is right, I'm not as young as I used to be… We gotta take a break sooner or later." Vaughn said.

"Alright… We'll look for some shelter." Troy said.

The other men nodded. They continued walking until they noticed a figure in the distance.

Immediately, they got the plan to scare the boy. If they frightened him enough, they could get him to spill his group's location.

That'd be their best and quickest way to get to shelter.

Without hesitant, he and the other four men approached the boy.

The boy visually shaking as surrounded him and began asking him various questions.

"Where's your group? You ain't out here alone, are you?" Troy asked.

"I… I not have a group…" The boy stammered.

"Bullshit." One of the men said. "No way you're out here alone."

"Take it easy, Robert." Another man spoke. "He clearly doesn't speak good English."

"Wow, captain obvious, I didn't notice." Robert said.

"Look, kid. Just tell us where you group is." The man said, ignoring Robert.

"That's not going to get you nowhere, Eddie." Troy said.

"I not have a group. It… It's true!" The boy replied, still shaking in fear.

"Look, we know you ain't alone." Troy said. "Make this easy on yourself. Tell us where you and your people are staying."

"Easy?" The boy echoed, furrowing his brows.

"Tell us where your people are, or things are going to get bad for you." Troy said.

The boy glanced to the ground, looking as if he were contemplating on something, before muttering, "They… They are at town…"

"Town? What town…" Martin asked.

"At town… Not far…" The boy replied.

"Show us…" Troy ordered.

"I… I not go!"

"I'm not giving you a choice here." Troy grumbled.

"I not go back! I cannot go!" The boy said. "I… I shoot little girl… I not mean to, she make me!"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Troy asked.

"I not go back. I shoot little girl. I shoot Clementine! I not go back!"

Troy's eyes widened at the boy's words. "Wait… Clementine?"

"Y-Yes…" The boy nodded. "I not go back…"

Troy's face went pale. He wondered if this boy was mentioning the same little girl he knew. Or if it was some kind of coincidence.

"You alright, Troy?" One of the men asked.

"I… I'm fine…" Troy muttered. "Kid… What's your name?"

"…I… I am Arvo…" The boy replied.

* * *

After Jane had left, it seemed Howe's was falling apart for a second time. Tavia couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let it happen.

Tavia had been so angry when Jane had taken off, that she took it out on the two guards that she felt had been incapable of doing their job.

She punished Mitch and his pal in the best way she thought possible. By putting a bullet in both their heads.

That seemed to put the others in the community in line. Tavia just hoped they would stay in line. She wasn't about to let this place crumble again.

Anyone who disagreed with the way she ran things didn't dare speak their mind.

Hank was the only person who dared tell Tavia exactly what he was thinking, without fear of consequences. Although he didn't always agree with her, the two had a mutual respect for one another, and like he had never gone again Bill, he didn't plan to go against her.

Tavia saw no faults in the way Carver had run things, and therefore lead the same way he had.

People downright feared the woman, and that pleased her greatly. To her, fear equaled obedience.

* * *

After Luke had informed the others about finding Clementine, many of the concerned group members came over to check in on the child.

Kenny was in a panic, worrying that the child was hurt. Christa continuously assured him that the little girl was fine. The second he saw Clementine he hugged the girl, and the child with an innocent expression, said to him, "why was everyone so worried. I was just drawing".

Sarita explained to the girl that they were worried that she could have gotten hurt and Clementine replied, "Lee wouldn't let that happen". Her statement left them confused, but no one pried.

After nearly twenty minutes passed, the group members headed back to their own homes. Sarita had to practically drag the still worried Kenny back home, so that little Clementine could take a nap.

"Well, today started off interesting." Luke mumbled.

"Yeah it did." Christa said.

"So… what do we do about the drawings? Should we tell Carlos?" Luke asked, his voice full of genuine concern.

Christa shook her head. "No."

"But why not? He… He's a doctor, maybe he can help." Luke said.

"He's a medical doctor, not a psychiatrist."

"But wouldn't he be trained in psychiatry."

"Medical students do receive exposure to psychiatry, but not to the extent that an actually psychiatrist would have."

"How do you know this?"

"I was studying to be a nurse before the outbreak..." Christa said. "Never actually finished med school. I did become a CNA though."

"Really? That's pretty amazing. I always wondered why you were so good in a crisis." Luke said.

"Well, it doesn't matter much anymore. I'm not focused on the past. My only concern is Clementine." Christa said.

"I'm worried about her too. Which is why I think we should talk to Carlos…" Luke said.

"This isn't his business." Christa said.

"But maybe he can help. Or maybe Sarita can, she's good at getting Clem to talk about her emotions." Luke suggested.

"No, Luke. We don't tell anyone. We're not going to make this a bigger deal than what it is. Clementine's stressed enough." Christa replied.

"So what, we just pretend everything's fine? That nothing ever happened." Luke asked.

"I don't want to put anymore stress on her. Especially not over something frivolous like a drawing." Christa said.

"This isn't frivolous! You saw what she drew!" Luke said.

"Kids draw weird shit all the time. I know what she drew was horrible, but that's exactly why I don't want to tell the others about it." Christa said. "People wouldn't react good. And negative reactions will just make the circumstances worse."

"I… I guess you're right…"

"I am." Christa said. "Anyway... I've been thinking a lot...

"About?"

"About... leaving." Christa admitted.

"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?" Luke inquired.

"I mean, taking Clem and getting the hell out of here." Christa said.

"And going where?" Luke asked.

"I don't know. Wellington, maybe." Christa said.

Luke said her a look of disbelief. "Christa, come on. That's not a good idea. For all we know, that Wellington place doesn't even exist."

"Maybe not, but I don't know how much longer Clem can stay in this toxic environment." Christa replied.

"What about the baby? My baby?" Luke asked.

"I know you want to be there for the baby, but I gotta think about what's best for Clementine." Christa said.

"What's best for her is to be with her group. She should stay here, where it's safe, where people care about her, where she has a doctor." Luke said.

"You think she should stay in a place where she's constantly treated like shit. Clementine's mental stability is at risk here." Christa said. "So is the baby... I'm thinking in their best interest."

"So you're going to take my baby away from me?" Luke asked.

"I guess that's up to you." Christa simply replied.

Luke raised a brow unsure of what she meant.

"Look… I don't know if I should take her yet… But if I do… you're welcome to come. It wouldn't be right to keep you from the baby…" Christa said.

"I… I'll… I'll think about it." Luke replied.

"So will I…" Christa muttered.

* * *

"So, Arvo… Tell me more about this group you were with." Troy said.

"They… They are not nice… Not nice people…" Arvo said. "They kill my friends… Killed Natasha."

"And… where exactly is this town?" Troy asked.

"Not far… Town's not far." Arvo replied.

Troy raised a brow. "Okay then."

"What now?" One of the men asked.

"Plan stays the same. We'll stop now, rest up for the rest of the day, and head out tomorrow." Troy said.

"Alright then." The men agreed.

With that, the group decided to rest up.

At the first light, Troy started to lead his group to the hardware store. During the walk, Troy continued to interrogate Arvo about the town, and his group. From what the boy had told him he was sure they were the people he knew.

After spending the entire day walking they finally arrived, and were met by some faces unfamiliar to Troy.

"I need to talk to Bill." Troy informed the guards.

"Bill?" One of the guards repeated, with a look of confusion.

"Yeah. You know, William Carver." Troy said. "I need to talk to him."

"Ain't no one by that name around here." The second guard replied.

"What are you talking about? He runs this place." Troy said.

The first guard shook his head. "No. A woman named Tavia does."

"Tavia?" Troy asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"That's right." The guard said.

"I, uh... I'd like to talk with her then..." Troy said.

One the guards nodded and headed off to get the woman.

Troy waited, feeling a bit uneasy. Once the woman finally came she looked surprised to see him.

"I never thought I'd see you again." Tavia said. "Did you come here searching for your little toy? I hope not, because she's gone."

Troy paled, his words stuck in his throat for a moment. "W-What?"

"The girl you raped." Tavia replied.

"I didn't rape anyone. That was a misunderstanding." Troy said.

"Yeah. Of course, it was." Tavia said sarcastically. Despite her words, she motioned for her guards to allow him and his people in.

"So, what happened here. Where's Bill?" Troy wondered as he walked alongside her.

"He's dead..." Tavia answered with a sigh.

"What? How?" Troy asked.

"How do you think? The prisoners killed him." Tavia replied.

"Fuck... what happened to everyone else?" Troy questioned.

"Well, we had a few traitors... I was expecting Vince to pull a move like he did, but Bonnie surprised me." Tavia said.

Troy paused for a moment. "...What happened to Jane?"

"She stayed around for a while. Took off a few weeks ago." Tavia said.

"Really?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. She went off to find her baby's father." Tavia explained.

"Baby? What baby?" Troy asked.

"She's pregnant. Luke's the father." Tavia said.

"Luke? That's surprising. I... I wouldn't take him for her type." Troy said.

"Neither would I." Tavia said. "But I didn't take little kids for yours either."

"I told you, nothing happened with me and that girl." Troy said.

"I find that hard to believe." Tavia replied. "If you and your people want to stay here, fine. But don't go around starting shit, or it's gonna be your ass. Got it?"

"I hear you…" Troy said.

* * *

A little over a week had gone by, Clementine had crossed into her fifth month of pregnancy. Unfortunately, she seemed to be getting ill more and more often. The girl was also starting to experience false labor pains, much to the groups member's concerns.

Christa noticed the child's emotional state was also worsening.

The woman didn't know what to do.

When Carlos came to check on Clementine the next morning, the young girl had been complaining about pain in her stomach. Carlos advised that the child be on bedrest for at least a couple weeks.

Due to Clementine's age, and the constant stress the child was under, the doctor worried that the girl wouldn't make it full term. Just how early the baby would come, he didn't know, but he told Christa to keep a close eye on the girl.

As the days went on Christa became accustomed to hearing Clementine talk by herself from her room.

Each time Christa would confront the child on who she was talking to, Clementine would either go completely silent or innocently tell her that it was "just Lee".

More and more, Christa debated on if she should talk to Carlos about this.

Each and everytime Carlos came over, he would check on the child. But beyond making sure she and her baby were okay, he didn't pay her much mind.

Still, everytime she would ask the same question. "Where's Sarah?"

"That's none of your concern." Carlos replied.

"I want to play with her." Clementine said.

"Clementine…" Christa called, not wanting Carlos to get angry.

"What? I want to play with Sarah. She's my friend." Clementine said.

Carlos sent her a cold look. "You're not allowed to play with my daughter. I've already told you this."

"But why? I said I was sorry…" Clementine said.

"Just because you said sorry, doesn't make everything okay." Carlos said.

"Clementine, just leave it." Christa said.

"But… But… I didn't force her… I promise." Clementine stammered.

"I know you didn't." Christa said.

"Not physically, maybe… but, you manipulated her." Carlos said. "Which means, in a way you did force her."

"I didn't force her! I'm not like Carver! I asked her if she wanted to try and she agreed." Clementine snapped.

"You had no business asking in the first place! And you have the gall to raise your voice at me, you will never play with my daughter!" Carlos retorted.

"I'm sorry…" Clementine spoke in a calmer tone. "I know you're mad… I… I just miss my friend."

"Perhaps you should have thought about that before." Carlos replied before turning on his heel and walking from the room.

With a wave of annoyance, Christa followed after him. "Wait!"

"What is it?" Carlos stopped in his tracks and turned to face the woman.

"We need to talk. I'm not going to let you keep treating her like shit." Christa said.

"I'm not treating her like shit." Carlos said in a dismissive way.

"Then what do you call it?" Christa inquired.

"I'm being honest with her. I don't want her anywhere around my daughter. I won't let her corrupt my child." Carlos said.

"She's not corrupting anyone. She hasn't done anything wrong." Christa hiss in annoyance.

"In your eyes, you believe that. That child needs to learn that sometimes people won't sugarcoat her mistakes." Carlos said.

"You're right. And she will learn." Christa said. "She's not perfect, and neither is your child."

"I never said my child was perfect." Carlos replied. "But just because Clementine was assaulted, doesn't mean it's okay for her to make sexual advantages towards other people! Especially not to other children!" Carlos said. "She's not a good influence…"

"Okay? So who's a good influence in this town? You think you're the model parent because you keep your child trapped in a bubble. Well, sooner or later that's going to backfire! If you keep babying that girl you're not going to get her nowhere, but dead!" Christa's voice had scaled up considerably, and at the end of her tirade she was nearly shouting.

Carlos didn't know how to respond.

Christa took a deep breath to calm herself. "Clementine's been through a lot. More than most could ever hope to handle. You just don't snap back from that. She needs a lot of help… And I'm not going to stand here and let you belittle her."

"I… I apologize for how I came off… I have no intention of belittle Clementine. I'm just looking out for Sarah." Carlos said.

"Is that an excuse to treat Clem like crap?" Christa questioned.

"My apologies… I should go now..." Carlos said.

Christa didn't try to stop him as he took his leave. With a heavy sigh, she sat on the couch. This place was nothing but toxic for Clementine.

* * *

Clementine could hear the argument from outside her room. She kept her hands over her ears, trying her best to block it out. She hated when people argued.

Once the arguing had died down, she let her hands fall from her ears.

" _That's your fault, you know?"_

"N-No… No, it's not." Clementine shook her head.

" _But it is. You know it is. All you do is cause trouble. You're just a magnet for misfortune." Carver chuckled._

"That's not true! Leave me alone!" Clementine exclaimed.

" _Don't be like that, honey. I'm the only one who cares about you. You and my baby." Carver said, reaching out a hand to touch her stomach._

Clementine jerked back. "It's not yours…" She mumbled.

" _Come again?" Carver asked._

"It's not your baby!" Clementine said louder.

" _Oh, but it is." Carver said. "We made that child. And just you wait, it'll be just like me."_

"No…" Clementine said.

" _Yes, honey. That's my child, and it will be just like me." Carver said._

"Shut up! It's MY baby, not yours! My baby won't be evil like you! I'll teach it- I'll teach it to be good!"

" _But how can you do that, when you and I share such similarities?" Carver asked her._

"W-What?" Clementine stammered, a puzzled expression on her face.

" _You're not good, Clementine. You know you're a naughty little girl." Carver said._

"N-No!" Clementine threw her hands over her ears again.

" _You know you're a naughty little girl. You know it, I know it, and that group of yours knows it too." Carver said._

"NO!" Clementine shouted. "LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU!"

Moments passed before the door opened and Christa entered with a concerned expression.

"Clementine… Who are you talking to?" Christa asked, although she already knew the answer. In reality, the child was talking to no one, but to Clementine she was talking to Carver.

Clementine kept her ears covered, her eyes clenched shut as she muttered "no", over and over.

Christa took a seat beside the young girl and pulled her hands from her ears. "Clementine, look at me."

Clementine didn't open her eyes.

"Clem…" Christa called.

"…He says don't listen to you…" Clementine whimpered out. "He says you think I'm naughty…"

"Who?" Christa asked.

Clementine finally opened her eyes. "Carver."

"Carver's not here, Clem." Christa said.

"Yes, he is! He's sitting right there." Clementine motioned to the edge of the bed.

Christa glanced to the empty space for a moment. "Clementine, no one is here, but us."

Clementine shook her head. "You think I'm naughty!"

"No, I don't." Christa said. "No one thinks your naughty."

"Yes, they do. That's why everyone hates me." Clementine said.

"No one hates you." Christa said.

"I don't believe you…" Clementine mumbled.

"Clementine-"

"I don't believe you." Clementine said again.

Christa sighed. "Why not?"

"Because… I'm disgusting!" The child exclaimed. "Why wouldn't you hate me?"

"You're not disgusting, Clementine. We're not thinking negative anymore, remember? You have to stop this self-deprecating. You need to be nicer to yourself." Christa said. "It doesn't matter what Carver says, he's the liar, okay? He's the one you shouldn't believe."

Clementine didn't respond.

"How about you get some rest?" Christa suggested after a moment of silence.

"…Okay…"

* * *

When her dad had gotten back to the house, Sarah noticed he seemed upset.

Concerned, she asked him what was wrong.

"It's nothing, Sarah…" Carlos replied.

"I know it's not nothing." Sarah said. "Did something bad happen?"

Carlos didn't respond. He felt like he was drowning in stress. He was constantly monitoring Clementine's pregnancy, as well as AJ's development, and now Jane's pregnancy. This was worse than working overtime. He never got a break.

Sarah frowned at that. "Dad?"

"Don't worry, sweetie…" Carlos said.

"It's hard not to worry…" Sarah said back. "Is everything okay, dad? What happened?"

"Nothing, happened, Sarah. Everything's fine." Carlos tried to reassure her.

It didn't work. "Okay… Is Clementine okay?"

"She's fine…" Carlos answered.

"And the baby?" Sarah asked. "Is the baby okay?"

"The baby's fine too." Carlos said.

"Can I… Can I see her?" Sarah asked the same question everyday. And Carlos always responded the same way.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Carlos said.

"Why not? Clementine's my friend…" Sarah replied.

"Sarah, you know why. I don't want her manipulating you." Carlos stated.

"She didn't…" Sarah said.

"Then why did you kiss her?" Carlos questioned.

"I… I wanted to try it…" Sarah said.

"Why would you want to try it...?" Carlos asked.

Sarah frowned. She wanted to have a kiss that wasn't forced, but her dad had taken things the wrong way. "I… I just wanted to…"

"Exactly my point. Clementine is a bad influence on you." Carlos said.

"She's not. She's just a little kid, dad." Sarah said.

"A little kid with a very disturbed mind." Carlos said. "I'm doing this for you own good."

"I'll be sixteen soon… Clem and Becca think you treat me like a baby..." Sarah replied.

"Clementine and Becca don't know anything. They don't have parents to lead them in the right direction. Which is exactly why they act the way they do. They know no boundaries."

"That's sad… That they don't have their parents." Sarah said. "They're probably lonely too…"

"Yes… It's very unfortunate…" Carlos said.

"Yeah…" Sarah was quiet for a moment before asking in a quiet voice. "Do you hate her?"

"Who?"

"Clementine… Do you hate her?" Sarah asked.

"Of course not." Carlos said.

"Then why are you being so mean? She was a part of our group too you know. Before everyone was gone…" Sarah said. "Now you act like her and Luke aren't our family. Our group was family dad. They still are."

"Things have changed, Sarah… A lot has changed." Carlos responded.

"Family doesn't change." Sarah said. "They'll always be family."

"Sarah… Things are just difficult right now. It's not the same as when we were at the cabin." Carlos said.

"I know, dad…" Sarah frowned, knowing her father's words were true. "I wish we could go back to the cabin. We were safe there… It was nice."

"You're safe here." Carlos promised.

"Maybe… But it's not nice like the cabin was." Sarah said. "I miss everyone… Pete, Nick, Alvin… And especially Rebecca."

"I know, sweetie."

"Why did Carver have to ruin everything?" Sarah asked sadly. "Why couldn't he just let us be happy?"

"I don't know, Sarah. I don't know. But things are okay now." Carlos hugged his daughter, realizing the teen was near tears. "I promise you."

* * *

Since that day in the church Becca had been having nightmares. She still felt at fault for what happened to her friend. She couldn't deny that she had been avoiding Clementine, although Clementine wasn't the only one.

She had been doing her best to avoid everyone. She spent most of her time holed up in her room reading or making origami, and dodging visits so she wouldn't have to deal with anyone.

Bonnie was the one person she couldn't avoid. The woman was concerned about her, but Becca just found her concern to be annoying.

The teen sighed as she heard a knock at the door. "What?"

"I made some lunch." Bonnie announced.

"I don't want any." Becca refused.

Bonnie opened the door and entered the room.

"What do you want?" Becca asked with a sigh.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay. You gotta eat something." Bonnie said.

"I said, I'm not hungry." Becca said.

"You've been locked in this room all day. You can't stay inside doing nothing… Shel would want you to take care of yourself…" Bonnie replied.

Becca shot her a glare. "Don't fucking talk about her."

"Becca… I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you." Bonnie said, a bit surprised by Becca's hostile behavior.

"There's nothing to be worried for." Becca said. "I'm fine…"

Bonnie shook her head. "You're not fine. And you don't have to be tough all the time, sweetie."

"Why don't you worry about the person who actually needs help?" Becca huffed.

"What?"

"Worry about Clementine, not me." Becca said.

"Clementine is fine. Christa's looking after her… Besides, she doesn't trust me too much…" Bonnie said, rubbing the back of her head.

"After what she's told, I wonder why…" Becca muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bonnie inquired.

Becca didn't respond.

"Can you at least eat something?" Bonnie asked.

"If you leave me alone, I'll eat." Becca said.

"…Fair enough…" Bonnie set the plate of food beside the girl. "I'm going to come back to check on you though. And you better have eaten at least a little."

Becca just nodded. Bonnie walked from the room and shut the door.

It was too hard for her to be around people right now, she felt bad about what had happened to Clementine.

She wondered what Shel would think, she wished her sister was around. She missed her more than anything and anyone in the world.

She would do anything to have Shel back.

* * *

Troy did his best to stay out of Tavia's way, taking in his surroundings in silence.

It was clear to him that things weren't like they were when Bill ran the place.

When Bill was running things, many of his guards listened to him because they respected him. Even though many of the people were scared to cross him, most of them didn't even think to.

Tavia was different, people listened to her because they were fearful of what she may do if they don't. So when they got the chance, they weren't very hesitant to leave or betray.

As the days became weeks, he noticed more and more that Tavia seemed to me a more aggressive leader than Bill, and the woman was clearly under stress.

Troy figured that he'd let the woman struggle for a while. She was already frustrated that she wasn't able to run the place as swiftly as Bill could. He could use that to his advantage and get her to help him take over that town Arvo had mention.

Still, Troy knew his own men were getting antsy. They were used to running the show, not being bossed around by some woman. Back in their town, they saw woman as nothing more than a treasure.

"How much longer are we gonna stay here, man?" One of his men asked.

"Be patience, Vaughn. You got food, and a damn roof over your head. What's there to complain about?" Troy said.

"This is the second time this week that walkers got into this place. It's not safe here." Another man said. "When are we gonna get to that town? It's bound to be safe there."

"We can't just walk in there, Robert." Troy said.

"Why not?" Vaughn asked.

"Because the people there are assholes. They ain't gonna take kind to seeing me." Troy said.

"Screw them. If we want the town, we take it by force." Robert said.

"It be too risky to try to go up against them? We're outnumbered." Troy said.

"So what's your plan?" Eddie asked.

"I'm going to talk to Tavia…" Troy said. "See if she's willing to work with us."

"What do we need her for?" Martin asked.

"The more people we have the better." Troy said. "Besides, I think she might take interest in this offer."

He was still shocked about the news of Bill's death. And it pissed him off to know that group was out there, at that town Arvo mentioned, probably thinking they were safe...

He was specifically pissed about Clementine. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have been left behind. It was all her fault. And somehow, someway, he planned to make her pay.

* * *

Christa was becoming more and more concerned about Clementine. With the girl's hallucinations occurring more often, Christa noticed an increase in the child's violent as well as sexual behavior. On various occasions, she had found the girl touching herself. One specific incident that morning involved the girl penetrating herself with a marker.

When Christa had asked her why, Clementine responded, "Carver told me to."

Christa was getting sick of hearing about Carver.

Clementine was complete convinced that he was around and had the power to hurt her.

She spent hours the day before refusing to go to the bathroom, claiming Carver had said he "wanted to watch".

Christa didn't know what to do. She wanted to snap the child out of it.

After her conversation with Luke the other day, Christa had trashed the violent pictures Clementine had drawn, before returning the girl's sketchbook.

She encouraged her to draw "nicer pictures".

Clementine responded by giving her guardian a confused look and saying, "But Christa, I thought you liked my drawings..."

"I like your "nice" drawings. You should make more of those." Christa replied.

Despite Christa's words, nothing changed.

Clementine's little mind was so full of negative thoughts and her drawings were proof of that.

The child was almost always anxious. There were many nights where the girl would wake up crying, or just be unable to sleep altogether. She was so scared that she pleaded with Christa to let her have a weapon, believing she needed to protect herself from Carver. Christa, of course refused.

Being on bedrest did nothing to tame Clementine's racing thoughts.

The only time Christa saw the child smile was when the girl claimed to be talking to Lee.

Still, Christa couldn't enable the girl to believe her hallucinations were true. Clementine wasn't going to get better if she did.

She figured that perhaps she would have to talk to Carlos… Although she didn't want to, he might know how to help.

Upon speaking with Carlos later that day, he told her not to worry.

"Flashbacks and hallucinations are normal after a child is sexually abused." Carlos said.

"What should we do about them." Christa asked.

"Unfortunately, we can't do much about them. These kinds of episodes can last years after the trauma occurred…" Carlos said. "They're completely normal…"

"So you don't know how long these hallucinations are going to last? I thought they were induced by the medicine." Christa said.

"I had assumed so, but if that was the case they would have stopped by now." Carlos replied.

Christa sighed. "I just feel so bad for her… I don't know what to do…"

"Just be there for her. She's going through a rough time. And things will probably get worse before they get better…" Carlos said.

"Alright…" Christa sighed. Christa had saw Clementine as such a strong child, but now the poor little girl seemed so broken. She wondered what Lee would think if he could see the girl now…

* * *

"It's unfair, isn't it?" Troy asked Tavia. The woman was clearly frustrated with the way things were going, and Troy could tell.

"What?" Tavia asked.

"How Luke and the others caused so much damage and walk away scot-free." Troy replied.

"Not exactly scot-free..." Tavia said. "They don't have things easy either."

"Maybe not. But after everything they've done, do you really think they deserve an easy life?" Troy said.

"Does anybody?" Tavia scoffed.

"It just doesn't make sense to me. We spend weeks upon weeks hunting them down, and for what?" Troy huffed.

"You know what. Bill wanted the baby." Tavia simply said.

"Well, he doesn't have the baby. Hell, all he succeeded in doing is getting himself killed." Troy said. "All he wanted was his family back, he didn't deserve to die."

"Well… he raped the little girl." Tavia said with a shrug.

"W-What?" Troy was surprised to hear that.

"And he killed so many people. We'd be stupid to think that the prisoners weren't gonna retaliate at some point." Tavia said.

"Wait... he... he raped the little girl? Clementine?" Troy said.

"Yeah. It wasn't like people weren't suspecting him… I think the people that thought it was him, just didn't care or were too scared to try to say anything." Tavia said.

"Shit…" Troy replied.

"Bill's not innocent. And neither are you." Tavia said.

"I told you I didn't touch the kid." Troy said.

"Don't take me for a fool. I don't like being lied to Troy." Tavia said. "You're lucky Bill's not alive, because if you came back telling him that bullshit, I'm sure he'd be pissed."

"I… It was-"

"What? A misunderstand? A mistake? Which part? When you put your dick inside her, or getting caught?" Tavia scoffed.

"…I fucked up, but I'm not the only one. She…. She seduced me." Troy said.

"Oh, yeah. Blame it on the kid." Tavia said. "Honestly, I don't care what happened. Yeah, you're a sick pervert, but you're not the first and you sure as hell won't be the last. As long as you don't cause trouble with me or my people, you won't have any trouble from me."

"What about the group?" Troy asked.

"What about them?" Tavia said.

"You can't say you're not the slightest bit annoyed that they destroyed this place, and now they're going on with their lives like it was nothing." Troy said. "Did you forget how Alvin murdered George in cold blood? And that bearded redneck, he killed Johnny!"

"People died on both sides." Tavia replied.

"But who spilled more blood? They did. They were the reason this place fell. Everything would've been fine if it weren't for them." Troy said.

"What do you want me to say, Troy? No, I'm not happy about what happened. But there's nothing we can do about it." Tavia said.

"We do what Bill would do in this situation. We get even." Troy suggested.

"It's too risky. We don't even know where they are." Tavia argued.

"I do."

Tavia paused, raising a brow, "What?"

"Or should I say, Arvo does. They're supposedly in a town, not far from here. They're reasonable for the deaths of a couple of Arvo's companions, including his sister." Troy said.

"Even if that's true, what's that got to do with me?" Tavia asked.

"Well... how long do you think things are going to last here?" Troy questioned.

"I don't know, why?"

"Imagine how much safer it would be in a town. Less walker attacks, a wall, houses." Troy said.

"What are you suggesting?" Tavia asked.

"What do you say, we head to this town and take it over?" Troy said.

Tavia was silent for a while. "I'll… have to think about this."

"Take all the time you need…" Troy was sure it wouldn't be long for her to agree. With the way things were going now, the town seemed like the perfect safe haven.

* * *

"Are you still mad at Clementine?" Sarah asked her father.

"Not exactly…" Carlos replied.

"Then why can't I play with her?" Sarah asked. She didn't understand. If he wasn't upset anymore why was he keeping her away from Clementine?

"I just don't think it's the best idea." Carlos said.

"Why not?" Sarah asked. "Clementine's my best friend."

"She's having a lot of problems, sweetie. Give her some time." Carlos replied.

"But I haven't played her in weeks." Sarah complained.

"That's for the best, Sarah. Why don't you go back to reading, like you used to?" Carlos said.

"…Things aren't like they used to be, dad…" Sarah said sadly.

"I know."

"I miss everyone who's gone. That's why I want to spend as much time as I can with everyone who's here." Sarah said.

Carlos paused, pitching the bridge of his nose. "I'll go check on her today. You can come with me then."

Sarah brightened. "Really?"

"Really." Carlos said.

Sarah beamed. "Yes! Thanks, dad! You're the best!"

Carlos just hoped he wouldn't regret this decision.

* * *

"Bonnie…" Becca called, fidgeting slightly with the origami figure in her hands. "I uh… Can we talk?"

"Sure… Becca, are you doing okay?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm fine." Becca said. "You don't have to ask everyday."

"Why haven't you been hanging out with Clementine and Sarah lately?" Bonnie asked.

"I just… I've just needed to be alone." Becca said. Every so often she would drop by Clementine's place to play cards with the younger girl, but the last two weeks she had too much on her mind.

"It's been weeks. You hardly leave the house…" Bonnie said.

"I… That's what I wanted to talk about…" Becca said.

"What's up?" Bonnie asked.

"I… I've been thinking about Shel a lot... I really miss her..." Becca said.

"I know you do." Bonnie said. "It's normal to miss."

"And I've been having these dreams… Nightmare, where I see her get bit, over and over again…" Becca said.

"Oh, sweetie… I didn't know…" Bonnie said.

"I just don't know how to get rid of them…" Becca sighed. "I miss her so much. I keep wondering if she's... disappointed in me."

"She could never be disappointed in you, Becca."

"I'm not the best person. Hell, I know I have some shitty traits, but that's just who I am." Becca said.

"You're fine the way you are. Shel's proud of you no matter what." Bonnie replied.

"Thanks… I wanted to hang out with Clem and Sarah, but I had so much on my mind… I didn't want to end up arguing with either of them…" Becca said. "Specifically, with Clementine…"

"I understand…. Becca, things might be hard, but you're not alone. You have me, and everyone else here. And you have a little friend who's been asking about when you plan to visit her?" Bonnie said.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Becca said. "I should go see Clem then."

"Yeah. You should." Bonnie said. "And Becca, I just want you to know you can talk to me if you ever feel the need to."

"Thanks. But don't worry about me…" Becca said. "Why don't you hang out with your "boyfriend" or something?"

Bonnie raised a brow. "What boyfriend?"

"Mike." Becca answered.

"Becca, it's not like that. He just has a lot of his mind. He needed someone to talk to." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, yeah." Becca said.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Be back before dark."

"I will."

* * *

Carlos kept his word, allowing Sarah to come with him to see Clementine.

The minute the girls saw each other, both their eyes brightened.

Seeing how happy the two girls were, Carlos almost felt bad about keeping Sarah away for so long.

After giving Clementine a simple check-up, Carlos spent some time practicing breathing exercises with the girl.

Much to the girls' surprised Carlos even let them play a few board games while he talked to Christa, as long as they kept the door open.

When Carlos and Sarah were heading back home, they were met by Becca who stopped them.

"Where are you going?" Becca asked.

"Back home…" Sarah answered. "I played with Clem for a while."

"Man… It's been too long since I last beat you two in a board game." Becca said.

"So you're going to visit her?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. I have an apology gift too…" Becca motioned to the origami bird she was holding. "Hopefully she likes it."

"I'm sure she will." Sarah said.

"Yeah…" Becca said. "Anyway… We should hang out again."

"I want to…" Sarah looked to her dad with pleading eyes. "Dad…?"

Carlos sighed, "...Alright."

"Really?" Sarah asked.

Carlos nodded. "Yes…"

"Thanks, dad!" Sarah sighed.

Carlos watched the two girls run back to Clementine's house.

He knew Sarah was growing up, and it was good for her to have friends…

Although Clementine and Becca weren't always the best influence on his daughter. Sarah was happy to be around them. And after all they had lost, he wasn't going to make her lose her friends too.

* * *

Clementine was surprised when her two friends showed up. It had been so long that she'd been alone, sitting in her room, forced to entertain herself. She wondered what had changed that made them want to play with her again.

"You look like you're going to pop soon." Becca commented, gaze zeroed in on her protruding stomach.

"Pop?" Clementine repeated. "Pop what?"

"Pop that baby out…" Becca said.

Clementine's eyes widened. "That's scary. I don't want to think about it."

"I'll hold your hand, if you want… When it's time for the baby to come." Sarah said. "And as long as you keep practicing the breathing exercises and stuff everything will be okay. My dad knows what he's doing."

"I… thought you guys didn't want to be my friends anymore." Clementine said.

"We never said that." Becca said. "Look, these past few weeks have just been crazy for everyone. There's just a lot going on."

"So you don't hate me?" Clementine asked.

"No one hates you." Sarah said.

"Carver said everyone hates me... And everyone just feels sorry for me." Clementine said.

"Carver?" Becca raised a brow. "Carver's dead.

"I thought he was too. But I see him all the time." Clementine said.

"Like a ghost?" Sarah asked. "That's so scary…"

"I don't know what it is..." Clementine said. "Maybe I'm just going crazy."

"He... Doesn't hurt you, does he?" Sarah asked looking worried.

"Not really... Well, his words do sometimes." Clementine said. "He tells me not to trust anyone... And... He keeps telling me I should..."

Clementine trailed off and Becca raised a brow. "Should what?"

"Leave..." Clementine said.

"Are you stupid? You're like six months pregnant. You can't leave. Besides, people would miss you." Becca said, muttering the last part.

"Why? I'm not worth missing." Clementine said.

"We'd miss you." Sarah said. "Because you're our friend."

Clementine sighed in response.

"Promise me you won't go anywhere." Becca ordered.

"I..."

"Promise!" Becca said in a firmer tone.

"...I promise." Clementine said.

"Pinky swear. Those are forever." Sarah said.

"Okay..." Clementine locked pinkies with her friend as she tried to push thoughts of leaving out of her mind.

* * *

Troy had been starting to grow impatient when Tavia suddenly approached him.

"Troy… I've been thinking about what you said." Tavia said.

"And?" Troy urged her on.

"And… I think it's a good idea." Tavia replied.

"Really?" Troy asked.

"Yeah… But I'm trying to figure out, why come to me with this? Do you have some sort of nefarious motive?" Tavia asked

Troy drew his brows together and asked, "What?"

"What are you getting out of this." Tavia said.

"A place to stay. And someone to help me take this town." Troy said.

"Fair enough… So, this town, it's legit, right?" Tavia said.

"According to Arvo. He says it has walls, houses, and the group has a ton of supplies…" Troy said.

Tavia looked to Arvo. "And you'll take us?"

"I… I not go back." Arvo frowned.

"You don't have to worry about those people. If you take us to this town, we'll help you get revenge on that group for what they did to your people." Troy said.

"Revenge?" Arvo asked.

"We'll take care of them… Make them pay…" Troy said. "For what they did to your sister, and friends."

Arvo thought about it for a moment before saying, "Okay."

The next few days they tried to think up a plan. The packed up their supplies and gathered it into a truck. Tavia, Hank, and a few of her guards, along with Troy, his men, and Arvo, all got into the truck. They headed out with Arvo direction.

Eventually they arrived at a place familiar to Tavia and Troy, Parker's Run.

"Town's not far…" Arvo said.

"You mean that town across the river, where the church is at?" Tavia asked. "That's where they're staying?"

"Yes." Arvo said.

"I had no clue they were so damn close to the area…" Tavia said.

"That's a good thing." Troy said. "Things should be easier for us."

"So what's the plan?" Hank asked.

"I say we head in and light the place up." One of Troy's men said.

Hank shook his head. "That's a bad idea. If we go in there, guns blazing, things aren't going to go good."

"We hang by the area, and keep an eye on it. We strike when they're least expecting it." Tavia said.

"That might work." Hank said.

Tavia knew that the group would fight back, but she was prepared to take that town, one way or another.

* * *

When Christa heard a knock on the door in the early afternoon, the last person she expected it to be was Jane. She was wary of the woman, especially after the last time she had come over.

"I need to talk to Clem." Jane said.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Christa said. "The last time you talked to her, it didn't go so well."

"That's why I need to talk to her. I wanted to apologize." Jane replied.

"What exactly happened last time?" Christa asked.

"We were just talking and Clem got a bit upset…" Jane said.

"What did you say to her?" Christa said.

"I asked her about the baby. How she was doing, but she flipped out. I guess she thought I meant something bad, because of the deck incident the last time I saw her." Jane lied.

"So, you didn't say anything bad?" Christa asked. She was unsure of what to think of Jane's personality…

"No. I swear. I was just checking in on her." Jane said. "I don't know what set her off…"

With Clementine's hormones being out of control, it wasn't hard to believe. Christa had gotten into her fair share of disagreements with the child over the past few days.

Christa let out a sigh, and hesitantly let her in. "No trouble, or you're out."

"I won't cause any trouble." Jane said.

"I sure hope not." Christa said.

Still reluctant, Christa led Jane to Clementine's room. Inside they could hear the child speaking.

"Who's she talking to?" Jane asked.

Christa didn't respond. She knocked on the door and called out, "Clem?

"Come in." Clementine said.

Christa opened the door. "Jane's here to see you."

Jane entered the room, and Christa walked away to give them some privacy, leaving the door opened this time.

"Hey..." Jane said a bit awkwardly.

"What do you want?" Clementine huffed.

"I want to talk?" Jane said.

"For what? You want to tell me to kill my baby again?" Clementine asked. "We can go over and over again. I don't care how many times you tell me to. I'm not going to kill me baby."

"Clem-

"I'm going to have it and raise it. I don't care what you or anyone else has to say. This is my baby. Mine. And it's my choice." Clementine said.

"I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have been so pushy." Jane said. "I still think you're making a stupid decision… But I know it's tough."

"It's not stupid for me to want my baby to live..." Clementine disagreed.

"It's stupid to kill yourself, over a baby that's only going to make you miserable in the long-run." Jane said. "Look, you don't have to forgive me. I just wanted you to know."

"...Okay."

"Clementine… If you… If you both survive, you know having a kid is going to be hard, right?" Jane said.

"Everything is hard. That doesn't mean it's not worth it." Clementine replied.

Jane sighed. "Well… how have you been?"

"I'm okay…" Clementine shrugged. "Are you going to marry Luke?"

"What?"

"Are you and Luke going to get married? I already asked him..." Clementine said.

"No." Jane said. "Who even thinks about marriage these day?"

Clementine furrowed her brows, looking confused. "But… But you're having his baby, right?"

"Clem, just because I'm having a baby, doesn't mean I'm marrying anyone."

"But mommy and daddy said when people have a baby together, they get married. Luke won't marry me, because he thinks I'm a kid…" Clementine said.

"You are a kid, Clem." Jane said.

"Kids shouldn't be pregnant… I am." Clementine replied.

"Just because you've been through a lot, doesn't mean you're not a kid. You are." Jane said.

"I stopped feeling like a kid a long time ago…" Clementine mumbled. "Now… I only feel like I'm going crazy…"

"You're just traumatized… You're not crazy." Jane said.

"People act like I am." Clementine said. "And Luke doesn't visit me everyday anymore… I miss him…"

"Who cares what other people think?" Jane said. "You seem fine to me."

"…Thanks, I guess." Clementine said.

Jane tried to think of another subject to talk about. "So… You still got that nail file, I gave you?"

"Yeah… It's in my coat pocket… You can have it back if you want it." Clementine said.

"No. Keep it. Versatility is not overrated, remember?" Jane said.

"I'd probably feel better with a knife." Clementine said.

"A knife?"

"Yeah. I'd be able to protect myself better… From the walkers, I mean." The truth was Carver's constant presence was scaring her. Clementine just wanted him to leave her be, but she knew he wouldn't. Still, if she had something to defend herself with, she'd feel the slightest bit better.

"Clementine, you know I can't give you a knife." Jane said.

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

"Because… If you do something stupid with it, it'll be my fault." Jane said.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid… I just want to have one, just in case." Clementine said. "Please, Jane… You know it's important. If something bad were to happen, I need to be prepared."

Jane paused for a moment before sighing. "You won't tell anyone?"

"I swear, I won't." Clementine said.

"…And you're not going to… cut yourself or anything?" Jane asked.

"No. I don't do that anymore." Clementine said.

Jane didn't know if the child was lying on not. "…Alright."

"You mean it? You'll get me a knife?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, but you tell no one. And if you do anything stupid, I'll take it back." Jane said.

"I won't do anything stupid. I promise." Clementine said.

"Okay… I'm trusting you."

* * *

Jane had made good on her promise, giving Clementine a pocket knife.

"Don't make me regret this." Jane had said when she handed the weapon to the girl.

"I won't." Clementine told her.

For days the child kept that knife hidden from Christa, hidden from anyone who visited. She would sleep with it under her pillow at night, it made her feel the slightest bit safer.

Knowing the knife was there, helped her to sleep better. Part of her knew it wouldn't protect her when it came to Carver. It seemed like no matter what, there was just no getting rid of him.

Clementine wanted nothing more than for him to leave her be.

* * *

"What do you think of the name Mia… or maybe-"

"Jamie…" Jane muttered.

"Jamie? That was your sister, right?" Luke asked.

"Yeah… I'd like to name the baby Jamie." Jane said. "It's a pretty good name for a boy or a girl."

"Yeah. You're right…" Luke said. "I uh… kind of wanted to name the baby after Nick…"

"Alright then… I didn't know your friend well, but since this is your kid too, we might as well name it together." Jane said.

"Yeah… What about Jamie Nicolas for a boy, or Jamie Nicole for a girl." Luke suggested.

"Sounds good. I like it." Jane replied.

"Glad that's sorted." Luke smiled.

"Has Clem picked out any names…?" Jane suddenly asked.

"Well, she's thinking the baby's a boy. She wants to name it Lee, after her old friend, if it is." Luke said. "I've tried to think of some names myself, but I think I'll let Clem name the baby..."

"Lee… That's a nice name…" Jane said. "…Do you think she's going to make it?"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Do you think she's going to survive. I just keep thinking… This pregnancy thing is hard on me, I can't imagine how horrible it is for her…" Jane said. "She's so young… I can't see her surviving childbirth…"

"Clementine's tough. She's been through a lot. And Carlos… Carlos knows what he's doing. He'll make sure she's okay. We all will." Luke said.

"It's not that simple…" Jane said. "I worry about that kid…"

"So do I…"

"Maybe you should go talk to her then…" Jane said.

"And say what?" Luke asked.

"Tell her not to have it." Jane replied.

"Jane, no. She's already attached to it. She's felt it kick…" Luke said. "Anyway, there's not much we can do now. Carlos is pretty certain that she's gonna have a premature delivery, she's been having Braxton Hicks for weeks now."

"That's why we should end it while we can. She won't listen to me… But maybe you could try?" Jane said.

"She's made her decision already, Jane. Let's not force her into anything else…" Luke said.

Jane sighed. "Fine… I just think this is a mistake…"

"Maybe it's not... Clementine's going to get through this…" Luke said.

"I hope so…" Jane said. "Anyway… You should still pay her a visit. I talked to her the other day and she said she was missing you."

"Missing me? I just saw her a few days ago."

"She says you don't visit her as much as you used to. You should go see her." Jane said.

"I still visit her. I just… I don't know… things are just difficult right now." Luke said.

"Why? Did she do something wrong?" Jane asked.

"She just... She's been drawing these pictures... some awful pictures. I got her into the habit of drawing more, thinking that would help her get rid of some stress, but now..." Luke said.

"You didn't tell her to draw that stuff. Don't blame yourself." Jane said.

"I guess you're right... I'll go talk to her." Luke said.

"Good. I don't want her getting pissed at me because you didn't visit her." Jane said.

"I saw her a couple days ago." Luke replied.

"And within that time span she got the idea that we're getting married." Jane informed.

Luke nearly rolled his eyes. "Really? That again?"

"Yep. She told me she asked you if we were."

"Yeah. She did. She was pretty upset too." Luke said.

"Geez, imagine how she'll be when she gets a boyfriend." Jane said with a smirk.

"She's too young for a boyfriend."

"I mean when she's older." Jane said. "I bet she'll give him hell."

"Yeah. Probably." Luke said with a smirk. "I'm gonna go check on her."

Jane nodded.

Luke headed over to see Clementine. Christa let him into the house and as soon as Clementine saw him she smiled.

"Luke!" She cried out and tackled him in a hug.

"Hey there, kiddo." Luke patted the child's hat covered head.

"I missed you. You don't like me anymore...?" Clementine asked.

"Hey, that's not true. Of course, I like you." Luke said.

"What about baby Lee? Do you still like him?" Clementine said.

"Of course, Clem." Luke said.

"Even though you and Jane are getting married?" Clementine asked.

"Clem, were not getting married. I told you already?" Luke replied.

"Then marry me... If you like me, we should be married." Clementine said.

"I like you as a friend, _kid_." He stressed the kid part, hoping the girl would drop it.

Clementine frowned. "Liar. He said you don't care about me, or my baby."

"Who said that?" Luke asked.

"Carver." Clementine said.

"Carver? Carver's not here, Clem." Luke said.

"Not right now." Clementine said.

Luke gave the child a confused look. "He can't be around at all. He's dead."

"You don't care about me or baby Lee." Clementine said. "Carver says you don't."

"I do too." Luke said.

"Then prove it." Clementine said.

"How?" Luke asked.

"Stay the night." Clementine said.

Luke frowned. "Clem... I... that's... I can't…"

"Oh, please?"

"I can't…"

"Please? Just this once?" Clementine pleaded.

"…If I stay the night, will you stop with the marriage thing?" Luke asked.

"…Maybe." Clementine said.

"Yes."

"Okay, yes…" Clementine sighed.

"Alright… You win. I'll stay the night." Luke.

Clementine beamed. "Thanks, Luke!"

"So what now, kiddo?"

"Let's play." Clementine said.

"Sure, what do you wanna play?" Luke asked.

"Let's play, mommy and daddy." Clementine said.

"Clem… I… Let's play something else." Luke said, he already had a bad feeling that he shouldn't spend the night.

"But why? We're going to have a baby soon anyway." Clementine said.

"We're not playing that. Let's play something else." Luke said.

"Okay… Can you draw with me?" The child asked.

"What… What kind of drawings?" Luke questioned, sounding almost nervous.

"Good ones. Christa said, she likes my nice drawings." Clementine said.

"Yeah… Uh… Alright, Clementine." Luke said.

The two started drawing together, Luke was glad to see that Clementine hadn't drawn anything disturbing.

An hour later Clementine was barely able to keep her eyes open.

"How about you get some rest, kiddo?" Luke said.

"I want you to sleep with me." Clementine said.

"Nah, you need your bed. I'll take the couch. I'm gonna let Christa know I'm spending the night." Luke said.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Luke headed off to talk to Christa. When he returned to check on Clementine, he noticed the child was already asleep.

Luke decided he should head to bed himself, and went to the living room to take the couch.-

* * *

Clementine woke up sometime in the middle of the night, from yet another nightmare. She realized as she peered around the darkness of her bedroom, that she had fallen asleep in her own bed. She usually found herself unable to sleep alone.

The child forced herself out of bed to get a drink of water.

As she entered the living room, she noticed Luke fast asleep on the couch. She was surprised that he had actually stayed the night. She didn't think he would.

" _I can't believe you picked him over me…"_

Clementine flinched. "G-Go away."

" _Don't be like that, honey." Carver said. "Did you like it? Did you enjoy being fucked by him."_

"Stop it!" Clementine exclaimed.

" _Why don't you touch him?" Carver urged._

"I… I can't…" Clementine said.

" _Yes, you can. You want him to like you, don't you?" Carver asked._

"…Yes…"

" _Then touch him. Make him happy."_

Clementine was hesitant, but turned her attention toward Luke. She did want him to like her, but she knew he might be anything but happy if he woke up…

" _Go on." Carver said._

Reaching out a shaky hand, Clementine felt her fingers touch the top of Luke's pants button. She carefully unbuttoned it, and slowly pulled the cloth apart.

Swallowing, Clementine moved her little hand to the hem of Luke's boxers.

She paused for a moment, thinking about what she was doing and realized that there was nothing bit a thin bit of fabric between her hand and Luke's member.

" _Keep going…" Carver urged._

Clementine frowned, she shouldn't be doing this… She shouldn't listen to Carver.

Before she could do anything more, Luke started to stir.

Clementine immediately pulled her hand back, expecting to get yelled at.

Fortunately, he didn't wake up. The girl decided not to listen to Carver anymore as she headed back to her room.

* * *

In the early morning Luke awoke, he took a moment to realize where he was.

And another moment to realize that his pants were somehow undone. His heart thumped in his chest.

He wasn't going to jump to conclusions. He could've easily went to the bathroom while half asleep and forgotten to zip his fly.

He decided to check if Clementine was still asleep, but upon entering her room he found her bed was vacant.

It wasn't long before he spotted the girl sitting in the corner of her room on the floor. The child had a protective hand over her swollen stomach and was whimpering.

Luke frowned and took a slow step towards her. "Clem..."

The child gave no reaction. Luke's gaze fell to an object she was clutching in her other hand. A knife...

"Clementine... It's me, Luke." Luke took another step forward.

Clementine lifted her gaze to him as he continued to move forward. "S-Stay back!"

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Luke said gently.

"Stay back!" Clementine cried.

In this instance, Luke was reminded of being in that comic book store. Clementine had panic attacks like this often when they were at Howe's.

"Clem, it's just Luke. I want to help you." Luke said.

"No! No! No! I don't want to touch it! I don't want to!" The child panicked.

"No one... No one's going to make you touch anything." Luke promised. "It's okay, Clem…"

"Stay back!" Clementine aimed the knife in his direction as he got closer.

Luke ignored the child as he moved forward until he was directly in front of her.

He knelt down. "It's okay... It's okay, Clementine." He reached a hand to the knife and Clementine jerked away. "I'm not going to hurt you... Just give me the knife."

"NO!" Clementine tightened her grip on the weapon.

Luke tried to grab hold of it again, but the child jumped to her feet. Luke was stunned by a sudden pain in his arm, it took a moment for him to realize that she had just stabbed him.

Luke's eyes were wide. He brought a hand to his bleeding arm.

Christa had rushed to the room, startled by all the noise. "What's going on?"

Luke winced and yanked the knife from the girl's hand.

"What the hell happened?" Christa asked.

Clementine said nothing as she collapsed back into her corner, slipping her thumb into her mouth, and rocking back and forth.

Luke handed Christa the knife. "I'm going to see Carlos..."

Wait- what happened?" Christa asked, seeing the blood on the knife. "She stabbed you?"

"Yes- No. She… She didn't mean it..." Luke huffed. "She's completely out of it..."

"Oh my gosh... I'm so sorry." Christa said. "Shit… You should let Carlos see it, before it gets infected."

"She... She didn't mean it. She was just freaking out..." Luke said.

"It's okay… I'll take care of her." Christa said.

"J-Just... make sure Clem's okay..." Luke replied, clutching his arm.

I will. But we gotta make sure you're okay first." Christa help Luke outside and over to the doctor's house.

Carlos was surprised when he saw them. Christa dreaded his reaction when he learned Clementine had caused Luke's injury.

As Carlos took Luke inside to patch him up Christa headed back home to check on Clementine.

Clementine was still huddled in the same corner, Eyes downcast and wearing a despondent look.

Christa knelt down in front of the girl and asked in a calm voice, "What happened?"

"C-Ca-Carver…" Was all Clementine managed to get out. "I… I'm sorry…"

Christa frowned and hugged the young girl. "It's okay, Clem… It's going to be okay…"

* * *

Word about the stabbing incident got around town quickly. And by noon Christa was met with a knock on the front door.

With Clementine having stay up most the night, the child had fallen asleep while Christa was comforting her.

Christa stood and made her way to the door to answer it.

"We need to talk... We're having a meeting at that church and I'm asking you to attend." Carlos said.

"Clementine needs me here. I'm not going to go to some meeting and listen to you guys bash the kid for making a mistake." Christa said.

"That was more than a mistake." Carlos replied.

"...How's Luke?" Christa asked.

"I told him go home and rest." Carlos said. "This meeting is important. It shouldn't take too long. You won't be gone more than an hour."

"...Alright, fine." Christa gave in.

"Good." Carlos said.

After checking to make sure that Clementine was still asleep, Christa stepped outside.

Once they arrived at the church, Christa noted several of the other group members were there.

She hadn't even sat down before they were interrogating her about what had happened.

"It was an accident. Clem just… She didn't mean to do it." Christa said.

"Just because she didn't mean it doesn't make it okay." Carlos said.

"I know that." Christa said.

"This is exactly what I was worried about. Luke's lucky he wasn't injured worse." Carlos huffed.

"How did she get the knife in the first place? I thought you were looking after her." Kenny said.

"I am. She didn't have that knife before. I would've known if she did." Christa said.

"Then how the hell did she get it?" Kenny demanded.

"Someone must have given it to her. That's the only explanation. She couldn't have gotten it otherwise." Christa said. "I've been telling you about her hallucinations. She needs help."

"And you guys thought it'd be smart to leave her alone?" Vince asked.

There's no weapons in the house. And she was asleep." Christa said. "I didn't want to leave her, but as long as I'm not gone long, it should be okay."

"She's almost seven months pregnant. It's not a good idea for her to be alone." Vince said.

"And since when did you become a doctor?" Jane asked.

"I'm concerned about her." Vince said. "She still just a kid, even though you people seem to forget that."

"He's right…" Bonnie said. "I don't think Clementine should be left alone…"

"She'll be fine… This meeting shouldn't be long." Carlos said. "Right now, I'm more concerned about her mental stability than anything."

"If you were really concerned, you'd be helping her…" Christa said. "She's the victim here. She was tortured by some lunatic, and now she's broken. No one was helping her then, and no one is helping her now. How long does this kid have to suffer because no one will help?"

"Well, what are you doing to help?" Kenny asked.

"All I can think of. I don't know what to do…" Christa said honestly. The only thing she could think to do was leave. To take Clementine and go as far away as possible.

* * *

When Clementine awoke, she was a bit surprised to find herself alone in the house. She wondered where Christa had gone.

Clementine was sure everyone probably really hated her for what she had done to Luke. She felt like a monster.

So many thoughts flooded her mind, and a tiny voice in the back of her head was telling her to leave. She was a burden, a liability. The group had enough to deal with already, she only made things worse.

With her mind made up, she scribbled down two simple words in her sketchbook: "I'm sorry".

After placing the sketchbook on the table for Christa to find, she packed up some supplies, grabbed Promise and left the house.

She kept telling herself that leaving was the right thing to do, not only for her, but for everyone.

She managed to get out of the town undetected and continued walking for what seemed like an eternity, when in fact it hadn't been fifteen minutes before her feet and back were already aching.

For Clementine to walk for a long period was taking a lot of effort, considering she was carrying extra weight from her pregnancy.

Clementine forced herself to keep going for a while, carrying through the woods until her feet were practically screaming at her to stop.

She quickly found a placed to sit, her back up against a tree.

Realization dawned on her that she was completely on her own. It was just her, Promise, and her unborn baby.

Her heart dropped. She couldn't birth a baby on her own. She wouldn't be able to. She would need a doctor...

She knew she would have no choice, but to head back to town. She didn't know where else to go, and she had to make the smart decision for her baby.

She rubbed her hands over her stomach, she couldn't be selfish... She had to think about her child. That's what a good mother would do.

Clementine stayed propped against the tree for several moments, not having the will to force herself to stand.

The girl decided to let her fatigued body rest for a while.

* * *

Not willing to carry on without a plan, Tavia suggested the group set up a camp.

Troy reluctantly agreed. He suggested that they wait until nightfall to strike on the town.

Tavia agreed, deciding a couple of them should scout ahead and see how much further until they reached the town.

Troy and two of his men did so.

They carried on in silence for a while, until they noticed a small figure getting to their feet from where they had been rest against a tree, and began trudging through the woods.

For a moment Troy had though it was one of the dead, but quickly realized it was in fact a living person. An anxious child it seemed. The child had their back turned to them, clearly unaware of their presence.

Troy wasted no time calling out to the kid.

The child gave a noticeable flinch, an indication that they now knew they weren't alone. However, much to Troy's annoyance they started to speed up their walk. Troy wasn't about to be ignored by this brat. He aimed his weapon, ignoring the looks of confusion from his men, and fired.

The child froze in their tracks. The shot had of course missed, it was only meant to be a warning.

"Next one won't miss." Troy threatened.

Troy slowly approached the kid and motioned for his men to follow. "Turn around."

The child did so with hesitation, and Troy's eyes grew wide as he recognized her.

The young girl's face paled and she whimpered a bit.

"Well, I'll be damned." Troy said. "It's nice to see you again, Clementine."


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter contains Rape of a child.**_

 _ **Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Frozen in place, Clementine was deadly scared. Her eyes were locked on Troy who was smirking. Promise slipped from her grip as she started trembling in fear.

Troy looked over the child. "Looks like you've put on some pounds…"

Clementine didn't respond.

"So which is it, you been eating a lot, or did someone knock you up?" Troy questioned.

Clementine furrowed her brows, confused as to what it meant to be "knocked up". She still gave no response.

Troy aimed his gun towards her stomach and watched her reaction. Clementine placed a protective hand over her stomach and took a step back.

"Ain't that a bitch. I gave you mercy when I fucked you, so you wouldn't end up pregnant. Looks like it didn't matter much though." Troy said.

Clementine kept her hand over her stomach. She just wanted Troy to leave her be.

"Cat got your tongue?" Troy asked. Seeing the pregnant child was an absolute shock to Troy and his men. How her tiny body frame was able to carry a baby was beyond them. The kid must have been a trooper.

Clementine still said nothing. The child was shaking in fear.

"Come here." Troy ordered. The poor child could hardly walk, Troy knew she had no chance of escaping from them.

"P-Please…" She stuttered, fearful of what he was going to do to her.

"I won't say it again. Get over here, now."

Clementine knew there wasn't much she could do. She wouldn't be able to outrun them, not when she was having trouble with the mere task of walking. She took slow, hesitant steps over to the man.

"Good girl." Troy said.

"A-Are… Are you going to hurt me?" Clementine stammered.

"What do you think?" Troy asked the child.

"Y-Yes…" Clementine whimpered.

"Smart girl." Troy said. "I am going to hurt you. And if you try to run or fight, I'm going to kill that baby of yours."

"Wha... what are you going to do to me?" Clementine asked, still shaking in fear.

"Whatever the fuck I want," Troy said, calmly. "Strip.

"W-Why are you doing this?" The child asked.

"Because I can." Troy replied. "Now… Take your clothes off."

"Wait, Troy what are you doing?" Robert asked.

"Nothing somebody else hasn't already done. Don't worry, I'll share." Troy said. "I'm sure it's been a while since any of us were satisfied.

The other two agreed with that.

"But… She's a kid." Martin said.

"And?" Troy asked.

"It's wrong…" Martin stated.

"She's hardly a kid. She's pregnant for fucks sake." Troy replied.

That seemed to be enough for the two he was with.

"Your clothes. Take them off, now." Troy said.

"Please no!" Clementine cried. "You'll hurt my baby!"

"If you don't do what I say, you ain't gonna have a baby! Take them off, now!" Troy snapped.

Clementine fought back sobs as she started stripping her clothes.

"You've grown a bit since the last time I saw you. In more ways than one." Troy said.

She closed her eyes, shuddering in fearing. "Please… Please don't do this."

"And why shouldn't I? Do you have any idea what kind of shit you put me through?" Troy inquired.

"I… I'm sorry!" Clementine exclaimed.

"You ain't sorry. You just want to save your ass. But don't worry. I'm not going to take it." Troy said.

Clementine sent him a confused look, hoping he wasn't going to hurt her.

"I want your pussy this time." Troy said, causing the girl's heart to drop.

Clementine broke into tears. "Please! Please don't do this! I don't want to do this again!"

"Too bad. I don't give a fuck what you want. Now shut the hell up before you bring the dead." Troy said.

With his gun aimed at her Troy ordered the child to get on the ground. When she didn't oblige, he aimed the weapon at her stomach.

Clementine, fearful of losing her baby, did as he told.

"Lay on your back and spread your legs." Troy ordered.

"P-Please… Please don't!" The child cried.

"I said shut the fuck up!" Troy spat. "You want me to gag you?"

Clementine shook her head, trying to force herself to quiet down.

"Spread them. Now." Troy ordered again.

Clementine kept her leg tightly closed, but she felt Troy use his hands to pry them apart.

"Relax…" Troy said. "I'm gonna make you cum, girlie."

For a few moments, he focused his attention on the girl's newly developed breast. Clementine fought the urge to scream and struggle as he touched her and licked her.

Troy kissed down her stomach, making the child whimper a squirm.

He switched his concentration to her crotch. He started licking feverously, drawing moans and gasp from the girl.

He licked her until she was wet, but despite her little sounds of pleasure, after several minutes of Troy's oral assault the girl hadn't orgasmed.

Troy huffed in disappointment, pulling back. "That's a let-down. I wanted you to come for me."

Clementine didn't respond. Her body was still tingling from what she had experienced.

"Oh well." Troy said. "On your side."

"W-What?" Clementine stuttered.

"Lay on your side." Troy ordered.

With a couple whimpers, Clementine did so.

"Be grateful. This position shouldn't hurt the baby." Troy said. "Now… Say please don't fuck me."

"P-Please don't fuck me." Clementine said, clenching her eyes shut.

"I won't…" Troy said with a smirk.

Clementine felt deja-vu. She knew what was next.

"I'll just rape you." Troy said.

Clementine started pleading again, begging him not to hurt her.

Troy ignored her. She felt him lift one of her legs and position beside her. When is member brushed against her, she gasped.

More tears dripped from the child's eyes, and she tried to break from Troy's grip.

"Give me something to gag her." Troy ordered to his men.

Robert picked up the girl's panties. Walking over, he knelt in front of her and urged her to open her mouth.

Clementine refused until he smacked her a couple times. She opened her mouth and he promptly shoved her panties inside.

Clementine screeched in pain as Troy shoved into her. It had been months since she was forced to experience this kind of pain.

Troy start moving inside of her, not giving her time to adjust.

Clementine hoped this was a dream, just a horrible nightmare. But she knew it wasn't.

She could feel Troy once again playing with her still small breast. He gave a comment about her "lactating". Clementine was confused as to what that meant.

"You still got a lot of growing to do, but they're nice." Troy muttered.

Clementine tried to think of something else. She wanted to focus on happier times, anything but being in the horror of the moment.

Her mind kept thinking about her baby. She couldn't help but fear for her unborn child's life. She only hoped that what was happening to her wasn't hurting her baby.

Several minutes passed before Troy finally stopped.

Clementine didn't have the chance to catch her breath before Robert had taken his place.

Clementine flailed about futilely, begging him not to hurt her, to let her go.

Her pleas were ignored. The man did as he pleased with her before switching with Martin.

Clementine was grateful when she finally passed out.

* * *

When the meeting had finally come to an end Christa head back home to check in on Clementine. She was worried about the little girl.

She noticed the note on the table and picked it up.

Reading the two words: _I'm sorry._

Christa felt her heart skip a beat. She quickly went to Clementine's room to check on the child.

The girl was nowhere to be seen. Christa noticed her teddy bear was also missing.

Christa's heart pounded as she looked around the house for the little girl. She found no sign of the girl.

"Clementine!" Christa called. "If you're hiding, come out!"

There was no response from the little girl.

Christa dashed outside, now panicking. She made her way back to the church where the others were still talking. She barged through the doors, a little of fear in her eyes. "Clementine's gone!"

"Wait, what?" Wyatt asked.

"She's gone! I can't find her!" Christa panicked.

Kenny was the first one to his feet. "Shit… We gotta find her!"

"Calm down, she's got to be around here somewhere." Bonnie said.

"Then where is she?" Christa demanded.

"I'm not sure, but panicking won't help." Bonnie said. "She's wandered off before. We'll find her."

"I never should've come to this stupid meeting." Christa huffed.

"It was important." Carlos said.

"She's important to me. Not whatever the fuck you guys wanted to say about her." Christa replied.

"She's becoming, for lack of better words, unstable. Her behaviors need to be addressed." Carlos said.

"She's scared. There's a lot of crazy shit going on. The poor kid is terrified." Christa said.

"I understand she's been paranoid because of her hallucinations of Carver's ubiquitous presence, but she still needs to understand what behaviors are... acceptable." Carlos said.

"He's right... Clementine... she... she's a good kid, but she has keep in regard other people's safety and her own. Wandering off like that, shows she doesn't care." Jane said.

"Clementine is one of the most selfless people I know. For anyone to say otherwise, you must be stupid." Kenny said.

"Enough! Clementine left this." Christa held up the note. "It's an apology. That poor baby has nothing to apologize for."

The others frowned.

"You can all argue, do whatever the hell you want." Christa turned away from them

"Where are you going?" Vince asked.

"To find my girl. And if any of you care about her, you'll help me look." Christa said.

* * *

Once the abuse was over, Troy redressed the young girl.

"What do we do with her now?" Martin asked.

"We take her back. Our job just got a lot easier." Troy said.

Martin and Robert agreed.

Troy lead the way as he carried the unconscious child back to their camp. Tavia and the others were surprised to see the little girl.

"Looks like they were telling the truth. She really is pregnant." Tavia said. "Damn…"

"Poor kid… That must be rough on her." Hank said. "You're not gonna hurt her? Right?"

"Not unless she makes me. What Troy does with her is another story. That's his business, not mine." Tavia shrugged.

"You… You didn't hurt her, did you, man?" Eddie asked. "Please tell me you just found her unconscious…"

"I did nothing to her that hasn't already been done." Troy said.

Eddie paled at that. "She… She's a kid."

"Hardly." Troy replied.

"I knew you were a baby-fucker…" Tavia huffed. "How'd you catch her anyway?"

"Kid was wandering around on her own." Troy shrugged.

"Guess that group of her doesn't pay much attention." Tavia said, "It's a good thing you caught her though. Changes our plans."

"What do you mean?" Hank asked.

"I mean her group's probably going to come looking for her. All we got to do is keep her with us, once they show up, it's a wrap from her." Tavia said.

"So…. We're going to hold the kid hostage?" Eddie asked.

"Exactly." Tavia said.

"I… I don't know about this… This shit is crazy." Eddie said.

"This is smart. We're less at risk if we bring them to us, than if we go to them." Tavia replied.

"You don't think they're going to come for blood if we hold the kid hostage?" Eddie asked.

"That's the whole point. They come looking for her and we settle things." Troy said.

Eddie sighed. "I don't like this."

* * *

With Clementine missing, the group members were once again in a panic.

They decided to split up to cover more ground. They searched for any clues that would show them where the little girl was. They looked all around the town, but they couldn't find the girl.

"You don't... think she left town, do you?" Christa asked, fear for little Clementine running through her.

"I don't know… You think she would?" Vince asked.

"If she did there's not much we can do." Jane said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Christa demanded.

"I'm just saying, if she left then she clearly doesn't want to be around us. Why force her to?" Jane said.

"Are you crazy, or stupid?" Christa asked.

"Neither. I'm being reasonable." Jane said. "If she doesn't want to be here, that's her choice."

"She's a child. She doesn't get to make that choice. It's dangerous out there. And she's having a baby." Christa said.

"If she thinks she can handle it, that's on her. We can't force her into anything." Jane said. "I know what I'm talking about. There isn't a happy ending for that kid."

"Why are you saying that?" Vince asked. "What's wrong with you?"

"You've seen how she is. I know you want to help her, but you can't save everyone. My sister… Jamie… I tried to save her, but she… gave up." Jane said.

"Clementine's not like that. She has a lot that she's dealing with, but she strong." Christa said. "She won't give up.

"I didn't think Jamie would either…" Jane said. "I dragged my sister across four states. And every morning, she'd say she wasn't getting up. So I'd convince her. Or push her. Or goddamn carry her if I had to. Until this time… Walkers cornered us. Forced us to the roof. And when they kept coming… I… I couldn't make her jump. Couldn't throw her. So I tried something else. I told her she could have what she wanted. And I left her there."

Vince and Christa were surprised to hear that.

"What?" Vince asked.

"I jumped to the next building over by myself." Jane continued.

"Wait… You just left her?" Christa asked. "Your own sister…"

"I couldn't imagine leaving my brother. I… I did a lot to make sure he was okay. I couldn't ever abandon him…" Vince said.

"I didn't want to…. I just… She gave me no choice." Jane said. "It killed me for a long time. But I finally realized that I'd put her on a forced march through hell, when all she really wanted was for me to let her go."

"I know where this is going. I'm not going to let Clementine go." Christa said.

"Why force her to stay where she doesn't want to be?" Jane asked.

"I'm not forcing her. She's confused. Her emotions are running wild, and she's not thinking straight. Clem is all I got. And I'll be damned if I lose her too." Christa said.

"You ever heard the saying, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"?" Jane asked.

"Yeah…" Christa said.

"Well, it's true. You can't force Clementine to do anything she doesn't want." Jane said.

"She doesn't know what she wants. She's confused and she's scared. She needs people to be there for her!" Christa said. "Just because everyone else is ready to give up on her, doesn't mean I am."

"I'm just trying to be realistic… I've just… I've seen it before." Jane said.

"If you don't want to help, don't. I'll find her myself." Christa said.

"Christa, wait. I'm going with you. You're right, the kid needs us. I'm not about to give up on her either." Vince said. "But we can't do it alone. We'll put together a search party and check outside town. If we're going to find her, we gotta keep a leveled-head."

Christa sighed. "Alright…"

* * *

When Clementine came to she was confused for a moment as to where she was. It took a moment for her to realize she was lying on the hard ground.

As memories of what happened flooded back, she tried her best not to panic.

She struggled to force herself into sitting position. Her thoughts were chaotic. She wanted to cry, but was determined not to.

Clementine looked around, seeing some familiar people. Her eyes fell on one of them. "Arvo?"

The boy seemed to hear her call, as he glanced to her, then quickly averted his gaze.

Clementine didn't miss the look of guilt in his eyes.

She sat for a few moments, trying to think of an escape plan. However, she heard one of the men utter, "She's awake."

The girl flinched as the others turned their attention to her.

Much to her dismay, Troy started to approach. Her plan for escape was quickly quashed. She knew she wouldn't be able to run very far or fast.

Troy stepped closer and closer and her bravado stripped away. He stood by her, looking her over. She could tell by his countenance that he was amused by her fear. She glared at him which earned her a chuckle.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked in a mocking manner.

The girl didn't respond.

"You were tight… I can see why Bill liked you." Troy ran a hand across her face. Clementine slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" She jerked back, then gasped as a sudden pain coursed through her.

Her words didn't faze him in the slightest.

"That wasn't very nice…" Troy grumbled. "Fucking apologize."

Clementine clutched her stomach, not responding to Troy. When she didn't apologize, Troy slapped her.

The child's eyes grew wide, her hand went to her stinging cheek.

"Apologize!" Troy snapped.

"No!" Clementine refused.

Troy glared at the young girl. "You little bitch!"

"Fuck you!" Clementine hissed.

"If you insist, I won't refuse." Troy hissed.

Clementine tensed at those words, she suddenly began screaming. Her screams only increased as Troy told her to shut up.

"Shut that kid up!" Tavia ordered.

"You don't think I'm trying?" Troy said.

As the child continued to scream Tavia tried to think of some way to stop her. "Put her in the truck. Let her scream her head off in there."

Clementine tried to struggle but found herself carried and forced into the back of the truck.

Her screams stopped almost immediately as the truck was closed. She laid in the dark truck, quivering and whimpering. Her eyes were wide, staring ahead completely blank.

She flinched as she felt her baby give a sudden kick. She held her hands over her stomach as though that way she could keep her baby safe.

* * *

After searching the town for the young girl everyone was becoming increasingly worried.

The adults decided to put together a search party to find the child. Despite Sarah and Becca wanted to help, the adults did their best to keep them from getting involved.

Russell ended up taking the two worried teens to wait at the church and watch after baby AJ, while the adults, minus Luke, stood outside the front of the home Christa and Clementine shared and talked.

"Anybody have any luck?" Mike asked.

Christa almost scowled. "Clearly not."

"Damn… So what's the plan?" Mike asked.

"We go look for her." Christa said.

"What if she's in trouble? We can't just march out of here without a plan." Jane said.

"Yeah. We need to think this through first." Wyatt said.

"Anyway, is it normal for Clem to just disappear like this?" Jane asked.

"She wanders off every now and then…" Sarita admit.

"And... you guys don't reprimand her or anything?" Jane said.

She's used to having some independence… She usually doesn't go too far…" Christa said. "And with all the stress she's under, I can't blame her for wanting to get away sometimes."

"If that's the case, it could be for the best. Being on your own can be a good thing." Jane shrugged.

The other group members sent her looks of disbelief.

"A child has no business being on their own." Kenny said.

"If she's survived this long, she must be capable of handling herself." Jane said.

"Are you forgetting that she's pregnant? She needs to be somewhere safe." Vince said. "There's a lot that this kid isn't even comprehending. This is overwhelming for her. Her mind's still in kid mode. She's a little girl.

"She shouldn't be having a baby in the first place. Hell, she's still a baby herself." Jane said. "You people are stupid to let her have it. You should have forced a miscarriage when you found out."

"That could have been just as dangerous. She could get an infection." Carlos said. "And as of now, with her being twenty-nine weeks… There's not much we can do."

"That's why something should have been done before." Jane said. "That baby is going to be nothing but a liability to her. Her life is basically ruined, which is saying a lot, considering she's already had normal life ripped away from her.

"We didn't expect this shit to happen. If we could make it go away, it would be great, but things aren't that simple." Kenny said.

"You had the chance to make it go away. When I tried to push her off that deck, I was thinking in her best interest. Maybe she might've gotten a little hurt, but the pain of a broken bone would be nothing compared to childbirth." Jane said.

"If I hadn't grabbed that child, and she had fallen off that deck and broken her neck, what would you have done?" Kenny inquired angrily.

"That wouldn't have happened." Jane claimed.

"How do you know?" Kenny asked.

"I-"

Kenny cut her off. "You don't. You could've killed her, but you wouldn't care. You don't care about anyone, but yourself."

"That's not true." Jane said.

"You're a fucking child killer." Kenny grumbled.

"Like I said before, I didn't kill anyone. I didn't even try to kill her. I was trying to help her." Jane said. "She should be playing with dolls, not a damn baby. That baby's gonna be a problem."

"We'll help her look after it." Bonnie said. "It'll be fine."

"It won't be fine if it kills her. This is the saddest thing I've ever heard." Jane said. "I can't believe you guys are letting her go through this."

"What's sad is that you don't give a damn about that kid, but want to play like you care." Kenny said. "The truth is you don't give a shit about anyone here."

"Say what you want. I'm not going to fight with you." Jane said.

"No one should be fighting at all!" Christa said. "We need to find Clementine. That's what's important right now."

"Wha-What's going on?" The group turned their attention to Luke who was wearing a confused and concerned expression.

"Clementine's missing." Christa answered.

* * *

When Luke awoke he couldn't help but worry about Clementine. He wanted to make sure the kid was okay. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him, she wasn't in the right state of mind.

Luke ran a hand over his bandaged arm before getting to his feet.

He was surprised to find he was the only one in the house. However, when he stepped outside he quickly noticed the group members gathered at the front of Christa's door.

Luke made his way over to them and asked, "Wha- What's going on?"

"Clementine's missing." Christa answered.

Luke paled at that. He took a shuddering breath. His eyes were frantic. "What?"

"Clem's gone..." Bonnie said with a frown. "We don't know where she is."

"So shouldn't we be looking for her?" Luke asked.

"We're getting ready to send some people out there to find her." Wyatt explained.

"Out where? She left town?" Luke asked.

"As far as we can tell..." Bonnie said.

"How… How long has she been gone?" Luke asked.

"Probably a few hours now..." Christa said.

"Fuck! Why didn't anyone tell me?" Luke asked. "Shit... What do we do?"

"We find her. What else, asshole?" Kenny said, looking annoyed.

"Guys, we need to keep a clear head. First thing's first, we need to figure out who's going to go." Vince said. "Some people have to stay back to keep an eye on the town. Plus, there's still a chance that Clementine might come back, people should be here just in case."

"I'll go. I want to make sure she's okay." Kenny said.

"No." Jane shook her head.

Kenny shot her a look. "What do you mean, no? Why the hell not?"

"No offense, but we don't need you screwing anything up." Jane said.

"Who's we?" Luke asked.

"Christa, Vince, and I. We're going to look for the kid." Jane said.

"You?" Vince asked.

"Yeah. I can't just stand by and watch you people flounder. It's putting me on edge." Jane said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bonnie asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jane questioned back.

"Well… You're pregnant." Bonnie said.

Jane drew up a brow, "And?"

"And… It's dangerous." Vince finished.

"Everything's dangerous. Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm not capable." Jane replied. "I'm a not child."

"Alright, then…" Christa said before turning to Carlos. "I was hoping you'd come along. She might be hurt…"

Carlos paused for a moment. "But what about Sarah? I can't just leave her."

"Sarah will be fine. She can stay with Sarita. She'll look after her." Christa said.

Sarita gave a nod. "She's right. She'll be safe with me."

Carlos still seemed hesitant. "I don't know…"

"We'll be quick. We're going to bring Clementine back and everything's going to be just fine." Christa said.

Carlos shook his head. "Everything is never just fine."

"Carlos, please. We need you." Christa said.

"Clementine's done a lot for our people, for Sarah. She needs you." Luke said.

Carlos gave a sigh. "Alright…"

"Thank you." Christa said.

"Alright… I'm going too." Luke said.

"Luke, you can't. You're injured." Bonnie cut in.

"It just my arm. I'm not dying. I'm going to find Clem." Luke said.

Bonnie frowned, "But-"

"I'm going. I have to. I have to make sure she's alright." Luke said. "That my baby's alright."

"Fine." Jane said.

"What? Why the hell should he go, and not me?" Kenny demanded.

"Because it might be his baby…" Jane said. "And to be honest, he's more reasonable than you."

"I don't give a damn what you think! I've known Clem longer than any one of you have!" Kenny said.

"You need to stay here." Jane said. "We don't need you doing anything rash and screwing us over."

"Like hell I will!" Kenny exclaimed. "You're crazy if you think I'm staying here."

"You won't be any help if you get everybody killed!" Jane snapped.

"I'm not gonna get anyone killed. I'm going!" Kenny argued.

"If you don't calm the hell down, you will." Mike retorted.

"Look, I don't give two shits about what you people think. I'm not leaving that kid out there. She needs me." Kenny said.

"And what if she is in trouble? What if she's been caught by bandits or something? You're gonna go in guns blazing, screaming and yelling, and get us all killed." Jane said.

"She has a point..." Vince said. "We need to be careful about this. We need to send a group of people that can keep a leveled-head."

"And what if you do run into bandits? It's better to have more people than to be outgunned. You need me." Kenny said.

Jane disagreed. "No, we don't. We need you to stay here."

"I'm not going to stay put, knowing that little girl is out there!" Kenny growled.

"Kenny, please. This might be for the best." Sarita said.

Kenny gave her a surprised look. "Sarita..."

"Just listen to them." Sarita said, trying to calm Kenny down. She didn't want him going to do anything rash. "They'll find her. We don't want to make the situation worse..."

Kenny shook his head. "I have to go. I can't just stay here."

"Well... Then I guess I'll have to go with you." Sarita said.

"That's not an option." Kenny said.

"That's the only option. If you go, I'm going as well." Sarita said.

Kenny frowned at that. "Sarita, you can't. What about AJ?"

"AJ will be fine." Sarita said. "Someone else will look after him.

"No... No, you can't just leave him." Kenny argued. He didn't trust many people to look after AJ.

"Then stay here. Otherwise, I'll be forced to go with you." Sarita said.

Kenny frowned at that. He didn't want to put Sarita in danger, nor did he want to leave AJ with any of the other group members. Still he was worried about Clementine. "What... What about Clem?"

"She'll be fine. We'll bring her back. Trust me." Christa said.

"...Alright... I hope you're right." Kenny sighed. "I'll stay."

"Thank you…" Sarita said.

"Good." Jane said. "We should get ready."

"Ready?" Vince asked. "For what? This is a damn search party, not a ball. We're looking for a missing child."

"Exactly." Jane said. "We don't know how long we'll be out there. We should pack some supplies just in case."

"As long as it takes to find her." Christa said. "We're wasting time here."

"Jane's right… It'll probably be good to have a first aid kit, just in case." Carlos said.

"The sooner we pack up, the sooner we head out." Jane added.

"Alright, fine." Christa agreed, not wanting to waste any more time by arguing.

With the search party settled, they packed up supplies they'd need for the trip, then headed out, hoping to find the child and bring her back safely.

* * *

Clementine didn't know how long had passed since she was forced into the truck. Half an hour, maybe more? It was dark, and despite the early summer weather being warm outside, it was cold in the truck. The poor girl was terrified.

She just wanted to go home. She regretted leaving town. She kept wondering why she had to suffer like this. Was she a bad person? What did she do wrong?

Suddenly she heard the door began to open. Clementine shielded her eyes from the light as the truck was opened. The girl forced herself into sitting position.

"You done?" Tavia asked.

"W-What?" The child questioned back.

"Screaming. We're not going to have another incident like that, right?" Tavia's voice sounded almost threating.

Clementine shook her head. "N-No… I'm sorry."

"Good. I'm going to let you out, so you can eat something." Tavia said. "And then I'm going to lock you back in the truck."

"P-Please don't leave me in here!" Clementine begged.

"Shut it!" Tavia snapped.

Clementine fell silent.

"You scream again, and I'm going to gag you." Tavia said. "Got it?"

Clementine whimpered a bit, but nodded.

"Good." Tavia offered the child her hand.

Clementine hesitantly took it.

"I... I gotta pee." Clementine said as the woman helped her out the truck.

"You gotta pee?" Tavia parroted .

"Y-Yes..." Clementine said.

"Alright. I'll take let you take a piss, then you can eat something. And after that, you go back into the truck until I let you out." Tavia said. "Can you walk?"

Clementine gave a small nod.

"Good. Cause I don't wanna carry you." Tavia said.

Clementine noticed that Tavia wasn't holding a weapon in her hands, however she quickly spotted the hand gun at the woman's waist.

None of the guards seemed to be paying attention. If Clementine could get her hands on that gun, she might have a good chance at escaping.

Tavia, kept a tight grip on the child's hand as she led her behind some bushes to pee.

Clementine struggled to walk, her body was aching. She just wanted it to stop. She tried her best to keep up with Tavia, who was practically dragging her. She glanced to the gun again, she could easily grab it. She just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Tavia motioned to for her to go behind the bushes while she went to grab a roll of toilet paper.

She managed to undo her jean button after a few attempts.

Before long Tavia returned and tossed her a roll of toilet paper.

Clementine urinated, feeling her private area burn a bit. Once she finished, she carefully wiped herself, ignoring the pain.

"Hurry up." Tavia ordered.

"I... I'm done..." Clementine said.

"Good." Tavia offered the girl some hand sanitizer which the child accepted. "Troy should be keeping an eye on you. I shouldn't have to deal with this shit…"

"Whe-Where is he?" Clementine asked. She didn't want to see him again. She hoped wherever he was, he'd be attacked by walkers.

"He and three of his other men, went to see if your people were anywhere close yet. They're probably looking for you by now." Tavia said. "Which is exactly what we want."

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"We heard about that town your people are staying at. We think we deserve it, after you folks destroyed our home. It's only fair." Tavia said.

"We didn't destroy your home. The walkers did." Clementine argued.

"And who was it that brought the walkers?" Tavia demanded. "That was your group's fault. You people ruined everything. And you deserve to pay."

Clementine lowered her head, not responding.

Tavia led the child back to the camp. She ordered the child to sit down then started digging through a bag for something the child could eat.

After a couple moments Tavia stood before the child and offered her an apple. "Here, eat this."

Clementine frowned, not accepting the fruit. "I can't.

Tavia raised a brow. "Why not?"

"The... The baby won't let me." Clementine said.

"Eat it. Or starve." Tavia thrusted the apple towards her again.

Clementine hesitated, but slowly took the apple that the woman was offering her. She held it for a moment before she took a bite. She chewed and managed to swallow, already feeling her stomach doing flips.

"Finish it." Tavia ordered.

Clementine felt her stomach churn. And not a moment later, she was vomiting.

"Alright then." Tavia huffed. "I'm not giving you anything else to eat."

"Tavia, come on. It's not her fault. She's pregnant." Hank said.

"Do you think I give a damn?" Tavia asked.

Clementine looked to the other guards and Tavia and Hank began arguing. The drama that was unfolding seemed to grip them, they were all distracted, or trying to completely avoid the argument all together.

Clementine knew this was her chance.

Moving as quick as her body would allow, she crept towards Tavia, glancing around to make sure she was unnoticed by any of the guards.

The guards seemed to be trying to avoid getting involved. Clearly Tavia intimidated them.

Once close enough, Clementine wrapping her hand around the end of the barrel and grabbed the weapon. She took a few steps back, and it seemed a moment passed before a guard shouted, "The kid's got a gun!"

Confused, Tavia whipped around, her hands fumbling for her missing weapon. She hadn't even noticed the kid take it.

"Stay back!" Clementine ordered them all.

When two of the men however proceed to move towards her, their own weapons aimed at her in a threating manner. Clementine did the only things she could think of. With deft precision, she shot the three approaching guards. Killing two of Tavia's men, and Martin.

"Holy fuck…" Hank muttered.

Clementine could hear the other's shock statements.

Tavia narrowed her eyes at the young girl. They had definitely underestimated the kid. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I... I just want to leave." Clementine said, turning the gun towards Tavia. "Just let me go."

"Too bad we can't always get what we want." Came Troy's voice.

Clementine didn't have to look back to know he was walking up behind her. His gun was trained on her back.

"Drop it, girlie." Troy said.

Clementine gritted her teeth as she dropped the weapon.

"You shouldn't have done that, little girl." Tavia growled. She killed one of yours and two of mine. That little brat needs to be punished."

"And how do you purpose I do that?" Troy asked.

"However you please." Tavia huffed before turning to walk off.

Hank frowned but turned to walk away as well. He didn't want to see what he knew was about to happen.

Clementine felt her stomach churn.

"Alright then…" Troy said. "Strip for me, girlie."

* * *

With the search party decided and the needed supplies gathered, the group headed out.

They searched through the woods for the child, but to no avail.

They spread out in each direction, searching for clues.

When they found no sign of the child, they checked the river area.

There were numerous animal tracks, but no sign of a person being in the area.

They retraced their steps, deciding to try another path.

After nearly an hour of searching they were all worried beyond imaginable. Not to mention they were exhausted from fighting through the inhospitable woods, climbing over falling trees, and forcing their way through brush.

Still they weren't ready to abandon their efforts.

Before long they came to a clearing.

They noticed the blood on the ground. And they also noticed a familiar object.

Vince picked up the toy he had grown used to seeing Clementine carry around. "Uh…guys… Isn't this Clementine's bear?"

* * *

When he told her to strip, Clementine felt her heart start to pound.

"Please don't..." She said, fear obvious in her voice.

Troy remained impassive. "Now."

When Clementine once again refused, Troy, Vaughn and Robert strip the child.

"What the hell are you doing, man?" Eddie demanded.

"What does it look like?" Troy replied. "She killed Martin. Don't tell me you feel sorry for her."

"She's a fucking kid. This shit is fucked up, man!" Eddie said.

"If you don't want to see it, don't look." Troy replied.

Clementine tried to scream but the men held her mouth. The girl kept kicking and hitting, as the stripped off her clothing. Robert stumbled back slightly as not to get hit.

"She's a feisty one." Robert said.

"Leave me alone!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Come on, man. This is wrong. She's a kid!" Eddie said.

"Who cares!" Troy snapped.

Clementine continued trying to get away, but the men easily overpowered her.

"She's a little firecracker." Robert said.

"NO! STOP!" Clementine screamed and panicked, trying to get free.

"Quiet or that baby dies!" Troy hissed.

The threat quieted her down, although she couldn't help the whimpers that fell from her lips.

She could feel the men's hands exploring her body. She felt sick and dirty.

Still, she knew there was nothing she could do. They were going to do as they pleased. She wondered if her group was looking for her. And if they were, would they find her?

The men took turns pinning her arms down, and holding their hands over her mouth to muffle her screams.

Arvo sat off to the side, his hands over his ears as he tried to block out the scene.

Panic crashed through her as she pleaded with the men to let her go.

She tried to pretend she was somewhere else, but she kept wondering, why wasn't anyone helping her?

* * *

"This is her bear, right?" Vince asked.

"Yeah… That's hers." Luke confirmed.

"She could still be in the area then." Vince said.

"Clementine!" Christa began calling for the child.

"What are you doing? You can't go yelling her name. You'll bring walkers right to us." Jane said.

"You think I care about that?" Christa hissed. "I just want to know where that little girl is."

"We won't be finding her if we're dead." Jane huffed. "Clementine's a smart kid. She wouldn't have made it this far if she wasn't. I'm sure she knows what to do…"

"That's true. But she's at a disadvantage here… We need to find her." Vince said.

"It's getting late. Once it gets dark it's gonna be hard for us to navigate through these woods. Maybe we should pick this up tomorrow…" Jane said.

"We're not stopping until we find her!" Christa snapped.

"How do we know we will?" Jane said.

"She never leaves this bear. She takes Promise with her everywhere. She must be in trouble. You all saw the blood." Christa said.

"You don't think she miscarried...?" Luke asked Carlos.

The doctor shook his head. "I doubt she would've gotten far if she did."

"She can hardly walk. I wouldn't have expected her to get too far in the first place." Luke said. "Maybe someone found her."

"That could be a good thing or a bad thing." Vince said. "You never know someone's intentions."

"Yeah... We gotta find her." Christa said.

Jane suddenly sighed. "This is stupid..."

"What's stupid? That we're searching for a lost little girl?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. We have no idea where Clem is. For all we know she could be dead." Jane said.

"Don't you ever say that." Christa said in a firm tone.

"I'm sorry… I just… I know finding her could be a shot in the dark." Jane said. "We've been looking all day, and we've found nothing but a teddy bear. My feet are killing me."

"If you just wanted to complain, why'd you come?" Vince asked.

"Well, believe it or not I care about Clementine." Jane said.

"You don't act like it." Christa said.

"I'm just being realistic. How much of a chance do you think that little kid has out here? She's six and a half months pregnant. Judging from the blood, she's clearly injured. We don't have any fucking clue where she is. We've tried searching for her, what more can we do?" Jane said.

"If you were a decent human being, you'd do all you can to help!" Christa spat. "This is a child. She's alone and she's probably terrified."

"No one forced her to leave. She made her choice." Jane said.

"She left because she felt unwanted, and I'm not about to leave her out here to die!" Christa snapped.

"I like Clem. I really do, but how long are we going to give our time, resources, and energy on a kid that doesn't want our help?" Jane asked.

"You've enlightened me…" Christa suddenly muttered.

"How so?" Jane asked.

"I now realize how much of a bitch you are." Christa said.

Jane was taken aback by her words, as were the others. "Me? You think I'm a bitch?" Jane inquired.

"Yes. I do." Christa replied.

"The problem is all of you people have a tenuous grasp of reality. Things aren't the way they were before. Hope… hope isn't worth a damn thing." Jane said.

"The problem is you don't care about anyone, but yourself. You're selfish." Christa said.

"I'm not selfish. You gotta look at the worst-case scenario. You can't save everyone. Especially if that person doesn't want to be saved. Jamie taught me that." Jane said.

"Well, Clementine's not Jamie. And I'm not about to abandon her. She needs us." Christa said.

"Alright, fine…" Jane sighed. "I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up."

* * *

Every muscle in her body ached. Her head pounded. She couldn't stop the whimpers that were falling from her lips.

"Hey…" Eddie said in a gently voice as he knelt by the child.

Clementine flinched as the man called to her.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" Eddie reassured the scared little girl.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

Eddie raised a brow and asked, "Why what?"

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

"Because…. Because it's wrong…" Eddie said. "I mean, this shit is fucked. You're just a kid."

Clementine didn't respond.

"Here, eat something." Eddie offered her a granola bar.

Clementine accepted it with hesitation. She felt as if he would yank it away from her at any second. When he didn't, she tore it open and quickly began eating it.

"I guess the tattoos make me look scary, huh?" Eddie asked.

"Are you?" Clementine questioned back.

Eddie sighed then shrugged. "I can be… But I'm not going hurt you kid, I promise."

"That's my friend's name. Promise… They left him…" Clementine said.

"Promise? What the hell kind of name is-" Eddie cut himself off. "I'm sure he's alright…"

"I hope so…" Clementine said.

"Your group's probably looking for you, right?" Eddie asked.

"I… I don't know…" Clementine frowned.

"What do you mean?" Eddie questioned.

"I don't think they are." Clementine said sadly.

"Why not?" Eddie asked the girl.

"I… I ran away..." The child explained.

"Why did you run away?" Eddie questioned.

Clementine weighed the question. "I had to, that's why." She answered soberly.

Eddie didn't know what to say.

"I'm a naughty girl… why would they look for me?" Clementine muttered.

"You don't seem bad." Eddie said.

"I… I am…" Clementine said. "It doesn't matter…. Lee… Lee will find me. He'll help me."

"Where is this Lee guy?" Eddie asked.

"He's looking for me. I know he is. I heard him calling for me earlier…" Clementine said. "When… When he finds me, he's going to kill Troy and everyone else who hurt me."

Then suddenly the dam broke, Clementine felt tears roll down her cheeks.

"Hey… Don't cry." Eddie said. "Listen, I'm going to help you… I'm… I'm going to go find your friend, Lee."

Clementine couldn't bring herself to respond as she continued to cry.

Eddie didn't know how to comfort the kid. He wasn't good with children. It didn't help that she panicked if he tried to touch her. So after a while of trying, he just sat beside the young girl, waiting until she eventually cried herself to sleep.

Once the girl was asleep, he stood and started pacing anxiously, trying to figure out what to do.

"I wish… I wish little girl did not get hurt…" Arvo said.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"I not mean for this to happen… I not mean for little girl to get hurt." Arvo replied.

"Well, if you didn't mean it, help me help her." Eddie said.

"I…" Arvo trailed off. He wanted to help, but he didn't know if he should.

"You wanna help her? Right?" Eddie asked.

Arvo nodded. "Y-Yes..."

"Then take me to your people..." Eddie said.

"My people... my people are dead." Arvo said.

"Take me to her people." Eddie said.

Arvo's eyes grew wide and panicked. He couldn't imagine what would happen to him if he ran into Kenny again. "I... I not go back..."

"If you want to help her you gotta go back. I can't stand by and watch a kid suffer." Eddie said.

"I… I can't…" Arvo shook his head. "I can't go back…"

"Alright then… I'll go look for them. You just keep an eye on the kid…. And cover for me." Eddie said.

"O-Okay…" Arvo agreed, taking a seat by the child.

"Good. I'll try to be back as soon as I can." Eddie said. "Just keep that kid safe."

* * *

After scanning the area for the child, they managed to find some footprints. There were multiple sets of footprints, all too large to be a child's, which meant other people had been in the area.

"Looks like people were here." Carlos said.

"You think they found Clem?" Luke asked.

"I don't know. We won't be sure unless we follow these tracks." Carlos said.

"Yeah…" Luke sighed. "Shit... I hope she's alright."

"Let's not get worked up. For all we know these people could've helped her." Christa said.

"Most people aren't nice enough to help." Jane said.

"Let's just find this kid before something bad happens." Vince said.

The party traced the prints, following them until they heard a suddenly rustling at the trees.

They stopped their footsteps and waited, hoping that it was the little girl they'd been searching for.

* * *

Twigs broke and leaves rustled, and moments later they spotted a man walk through the shallow tree-line.

Dry leaves crunched under his feet as he ran.

He had done a lot of shitty things in his life, but he wasn't about to be part of torturing a child.

Eddie clenched his fist as he hurried through the woods. He needed to find that Lee person, whoever he was.

From what Arvo had said, their camp wasn't too far from that town. He just hoped he'd be able to get there before anyone hurt that little girl further.

Eddie forced his way through the trees. However, the second he stepped through the clearing he was met by a group of people, all aiming their guns in his direction.

"Don't you fucking move!" Vince ordered.

Eddie immediately stopped, raising his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Luke asked.

Eddie took a moment to catch his breath.

"Well?" Vince said.

"I don't want any trouble." Eddie replied.

"Then what do you want?" Christa demanded.

"I'm... I'm looking for someone…" Eddie said.

"Who?" Vince asked.

"A… A person named Lee." Eddie said.

* * *

Clementine jerked awake, hearing angry voices. She quickly noticed Tavia and Troy questioning a fearful Arvo, while the other guards watched on in silence.

The child was confused as to what was happening.

"We're not going to ask you again, kid. Where's Eddie?" Tavia demanded.

"I… I not know." Arvo said.

"You're a damn liar." Tavia huffed, drawing her gun and aiming it at the boy.

"N-No! It's true! It's the truth!" Arvo cried fearfully. "I swear!"

"Where did he go? Tell us now." Troy demanded.

Arvo started to stammer, "I... I not-"

Tavia interrupted, "You're really starting to piss me off."

"Just tell us, kid. We're not gonna hurt you." Troy said.

"I... he went to find group." Arvo finally admit.

"What group?" Hank asked.

"Little girl's group..." Arvo said.

Clementine was surprised to hear that.

"Is that so?" Tavia hummed thoughtfully.

Arvo gave a nod.

"Well if that's the case, they might be on their way here." Tavia muttered. "Let's bring them to us."

With her weapon still aimed at the shaking boy, Tavia pulled the trigger, shooting Arvo in the leg.

Troy and the other guards' eyes grew wide.

Clementine gasped as Arvo collapsed to the ground beside her.

Troy turned his attention to the young girl. "You're finally awake. You know, I was starting to think your people didn't care about you. Considering they haven't shown up yet."

Clementine didn't respond, she kept her gaze low, not wanting to look at him.

"Oh well… If they don't show up soon I guess that means we get to keep you, and do whatever we want with you." Troy said.

Clementine whimpered.

"You'll learn to enjoy it." Troy said. "Stand up. Did you know about Eddie leaving?"

Clementine quickly shook her head.

"Yeah right." Troy scoffed. "Get up, now."

Clementine struggled to her feet, trembling in fear. She clutched at her stomach as a suddenly pain caused her to almost lose her balance.

"Leave her alone, Troy." Tavia said, still looking annoyed.

"I'm just talking to her. Besides, I thought you didn't care what we did with her." Troy said.

"I don't, but we have a traitor on our hands. We need to worry about him." Tavia said.

"Alright, fine. But what do we do if her people don't show up?" Troy asked.

"I don't know…" Tavia said. "Maybe we should just kill her."

Clementine felt her heart skip a beat.

"Tavia, come on." Hank said. "She's just a kid."

"And?" Tavia replied.

"Where's the fun in that? I say we keep her around." Troy said.

"Why? To be your sex toy? That's not benefitting me." Tavia huffed.

As they continued to discuss what to do with her, Clementine suddenly felt another sharp pain in her abdomen. The child gasped, and not but a second later, she felt liquid running down her legs.

Troy glanced over to her and noticed the wetness on the ground. "Did you just piss yourself?"

Clementine couldn't bring herself to answer. Her face twisted in pain as another contraction tore through her.

"I don't think that's pee…" Tavia said.

"What?" Troy asked.

"I think her water just broke." Tavia said.


	22. Chapter 22

_**To the guest who mentioned the story being too violent: I appreciate your feedback, but there's a lot of violence in the this story, just like the last one, this one is dark. I'm not writing a Disney movie here.**_

 _ **Warning: Violence, swearing, shooting, Childbirth.  
**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks to gaara king of the sand, and Missbeehave for helping me out. Also thanks to OmnitrixWielder1124 for allowing me use of his OC. Check out their stories!**_

* * *

"It's been so long… I thought they'd be back by now." Bonnie muttered. "I hope Clem's okay."

"Me too… I hope they all come back soon." Sarah said. "I… I miss my dad."

"I know, sweetie." Sarita said. "He'll be okay."

Kenny, Mike, and Wyatt had gone to patrol the town, in case the girl had come back. While the others had gathered in the church.

"I really hope they find Clem…" Bonnie said. "Hopefully, before it gets dark."

"Yeah. It's not safe out there…" Sarita sighed as she rocked AJ.

"I can't believe Clementine would do something so… so dumb…" Becca said.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"Leaving town. That's the dumbest shit she could do. She's knows she could have that baby any day. Is she trying to get herself killed?" Becca scoffed.

"She… She's just scared, Becca." Bonnie said.

"She's scared, so she leaves town? After she promised she wouldn't too." Becca huffed.

"She pinky swore… That's supposed to be forever." Sarah said with a frown.

"Wait, you two knew she wanted to take off?" Bonnie asked.

"She told us she was thinking about it." Becca said. "But we told her it was a bad idea."

"Hell yeah, it's a bad idea." Russell said. "Everyone out there is batshit crazy. That kid is making a mistake."

"We can't be angry at her… She's a little girl." Sarita said.

"I just hope they find her before something bad happens." Russell said. "You can't trust people out there. And after what happened at Howe's… I'm even more wary about people. I don't like the thought of a kid being out there alone."

"She's fucking stupid." Becca grumbled.

"Becca..." Bonnie said, in a disappointed tone.

"What?" Becca asked.

"Don't say that." Bonnie said.

"She is. She knows how bad it is out there. Why would she leave?" Becca huffed.

"Can you really blame her? I think the kid's tired of being treated like a doormat." Russell said.

"Nobody's treating her like a doormat." Bonnie said.

"I beg to differ." Russell replied.

"Clementine's has had a rough time." Sarita said. "Her emotions are just running high at the moment. Her hormones are crazy."

"Exactly. She's just not thinking straight right now." Bonnie agreed. "We're just trying to help her."

Russell shook his head. "That kid's been through hell, so it's only normal for her to be traumatized. But from what I've seen she only seems to be getting worse, not better. Which means she's not getting much help."

"We're doing what we can. There's only so much we can do." Bonnie said.

"The second things go wrong, you guys wanna throw in the towel. That kid will never get better if we do that." Russell said.

"I haven't seen you do anything to help." Bonnie retorted.

"That's going to change now. We all gotta step up. We can't let a little girl raise a baby on her own. Things are hard on her as it is. She needs us to help." Russell said.

"You're right…" Sarita said.

"If she wanted our help, why'd she leave us?" Becca asked.

"Because she thought it was for the best. Not because she's stupid, or selfish. She's a little kid. People seem to keep forgetting that." Sarita replied.

"Yeah… That's true…" Bonnie said.

"We gotta do better, all of us. Things got to change, for Clem's sake." Sarita said.

The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

"This is fucking bullshit. I don't know how much longer I can wait." Kenny said.

"We don't have a choice, man." Wyatt said. "We can't leave the town defenseless."

"But it's okay to leave a little girl defenseless?" Kenny inquired.

"We already got people looking for her. She'll be fine. We should stay here." Wyatt said.

"They're clearly not doing a very good job. They should have found her by now." Kenny argued.

"If they haven't found her yet, what makes you think you will?" Mike asked.

"Because I know what I'm doing. I've been a parent before." Kenny said. "My son... I remember there was this one time that he wandered off at the park. My wife panicked. I was too. Probably as worried as I am for Clem right now."

Kenny paused for a moment. It was painful to talk about his son. Mike and Wyatt simply waited for him to continue.

"When Duck was younger, the kid had this dangerous habit of wandering off when we were in public places. He had way too much energy, he could never stay in one place for too long." Kenny said. "That day at the park, we had only turned our backs for a second and… and he was just gone. We looked for him and ended up finding him by an ice cream truck."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Really." Kenny said. "That was the first time he wandered off. After that we tried to teach him more to stay close, but it wasn't working. Boy had a head as hard as his daddy."

Mike and Wyatt exchanged looks, but didn't comment.

"There was this one time I took my boy fishing. It was just him and me. The minute boredom kicked in, he started to wander off. When I noticed him walking away, I followed him, made sure he didn't see me. I figured I'd wait for the fear to sink in, the fear any child would feel once they realized they were lost." Kenny explained. "It didn't take long. The kid was in tears, nearly broke my heart. After I "found" him, he never wandered off again. Didn't even tell Katjaa. She was surprised that he didn't wander anymore."

"This is different…" Wyatt said.

"What is?" Kenny asked.

"This situation. With Clementine." Wyatt said.

"I know, but not by much. I said all that to say, sometimes kids have to deal with the natural consequences of their actions." Kenny said. Once that feeling of being lost kicks in, and Clementine realizes she's made a mistake, I guarantee she won't wander no more."

"Your kid wandering off at the park is complete different than Clem wandering into the woods." Wyatt replied.

"Not by much. It's still just as dangerous." Kenny said.

"Even more dangerous. The world's gone to shit." Mike pointed out.

"The world was dangerous before the world went to shit. Kidnappers, pedophiles. They've always been out there. People just made sure to keep their children safe. With Clementine people seem to forget that she needs help. She's still a child. Sometimes I have to remind myself that." Kenny said.

"Look, man, I get your point. And I understand you're worried about her. But we can't just take off." Wyatt said. "Think about our people here. Think about Sarita and the baby."

"As long as they stay in the church they're safe. Clem on the other hand is out there alone, she might be scared, or… or injured." Kenny said. "Maybe you don't give a damn about her, but I do. I need to find her."

"Come on, man. Everyone's worried. But we can't just leave our people. There are children here." Wyatt said. "Let's just give them some time to look for her. If they're not back by tomorrow morning. I'll personally go with you to find them. Deal?"

Kenny paused for a moment before sighing, "Deal."

* * *

Troy gave the child a blank stare for a moment before looking to Tavia. "W-What did you say?"

"I think her water just broke." Tavia repeated.

"Fuck..." Hank said. "What do we do?"

"How bad does it hurt?" Tavia asked the girl.

"B-Bad..." Clementine stammered. "H-Help me... Please...?"

Tavia rolled her eyes while Hank sent the child a sympathetic look.

"What now?" Hank asked. "We gotta do something."

"She's gonna get loud. We can't let her scream, she'll bring the dead to us."

Tavia was quiet for a moment. "Put her in the truck."

Clementine's eyes widened in fear.

"She can give birth in there." Tavia said.

* * *

"Lee?" Christa asked, eyes wide in surprised at the man's words.

"Yeah…" Eddie confirmed.

Christa lowered her weapon and motioned for the others to do the same. Vince and Jane however, refused to let their guard down. "Clementine sent you, didn't she?"

"You know her?" Eddie was a bit surprised, but relieved that he had found the child's group. "Where's Lee?"

Christa just shook her head. "Is Clem alright? Where is she?"

"She's… Not doing too good, to be honest." Eddie said with a frown.

"What? What's wrong with her?" Luke asked.

"Is she hurt?" Christa demanded. "What's wrong with my girl?!"

Eddie didn't answer for a moment.

"Spit it out already!" Vince demanded, keeping his gun aimed towards him.

"She's…. She's been raped." Eddie replied.

"W-What?" Christa's face dropped. "Please tell me you're lying…"

"I wish I was." Eddie said.

"Oh my God." Carlos muttered.

A dark mask fell over Vince's face. "How the fuck do you know?"

"What?" Eddie asked.

"How do you know?" Vince asked once more.

"I was there, I saw it!" Eddie stated.

"So you just stood there and watched a little girl get raped?!" Vince demanded.

Eddie quickly shook his head. "No! There was nothing I could do. Troy would've-"

"Troy?" Jane interrupted with a raised brow. "You're with Troy?"

"That bastard's still alive?" Vince grumbled.

"Yeah, he's alive. And I was with them… Can't say I am anymore after what him and the others did to that kid." Eddie replied.

"Wait, others?" Luke asked. "How many are there?"

"Who the fuck who gang-rape a child?" Christa asked. Wild thoughts were spinning darkly in her mind. She was going to make those people pay.

"The worst people." Vince said, trying to maintain his cool.

The group suddenly froze as they heard the unmistakable sound of a muffled gunshot blast in the distance.

"What the fuck was that?" Vince asked.

"Damn… I think that's coming from our camp." Eddie said, eyes wide.

"What?!" Christa felt her heart drop. She was worried what other sick shit might be happening to poor Clementine.

"There were five of us, including Troy, plus Tavia's people." "The kid shot three people."

"Wait… You said Tavia?" Luke asked.

"Yeah…." Eddie said.

"You know her?" Christa asked.

"Yes… We all did…" Carlos said.

"I'm going to kill those evil bastards who hurt my girl." Christa said. "You gotta bring us to her."

"Hold up…" Eddie said.

"We're not waiting, either you take us to her or you can regret not doing so." Vince said.

"No need to threaten me, man. I want to help the kid too." Eddie said. "But Tavia's expecting you guys. Luring you to her is exactly what she wants."

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked.

"Tavia heard about the town you guys are staying in. She was hoping to lure your people to her and take it over." Eddie explained.

"Damn it…" Luke muttered.

"How do we know you're not trying to trick us?" Christa said.

"I'm outnumbered right now. I wouldn't come out looking for you, just to trick you." Eddie said.

"Why didn't you bring Clem with you then?" Christa inquired.

"I wasn't gonna get very far with a pregnant child. I was hoping to find her friend, Lee. Or whoever the hell Promise is." Eddie said.

Christa huffed and showed him a stuffed bear. "This is Promise. Lee's dead."

"I… I had no idea." Eddie said.

"Right now, we need to come up with a plan. I'm not going anywhere without one." Jane said.

"I agree." Carlos said. "Any ideas?"

"I say we go in and shoot every last one of them." Vince said.

"And I say, that's stupid." Jane said.

"Well, what's your big plan?" Vince asked.

"We do a sneak attack." Jane said.

"That's probably our best option. We don't want to risk the chance of hurting Clementine." Carlos said.

Vince gave a nod. "Alright, fine. What do we do?"

Jane looked to Eddie, "They don't know you left, do they?"

"They didn't see me leave, but they might know by now." Eddie replied.

"Alright then…" Jane said. "Here's my plan… We split into two groups. Luke and I can "surrender"."

"What? Are you crazy?" Vince asked.

"No. Just hear me out." Jane said. "If he can convince Tavia and Troy that he caught us as his captives, the others can stay hidden in the woods, and when they're not expecting it, we attack."

"That's actually a good idea…" Christa said.

"Yeah… That might work." Eddie replied.

"Glad you people are listening to reason." Jane said.

"How do we know the cue to shoot?" Carlos questioned.

"Just take the first shot when you see an opening." Jane said. "We'll try to get Clem to safety first."

The others nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." Eddie said.

"Hey, we didn't get your name." Christa called to Eddie.

"It's Eddie." Eddie replied.

Vince's eyes widened at that, he was surprised. Was this the same Eddie that Wyatt had talked about?

"Lead the way." Christa said.

Eddie nodded.

* * *

Her contractions were coming as a strong crippling pain. Each time the pain would stop Clementine would feel relief for several minutes, only to have the pain come back.

Clementine clenched her eyes shut, and forced herself to lay down. Her nude body shivered against the cold metal of the truck.

When she realized she might have to birth this baby, alone, in a truck, she wanted to cry.

She felt terrified and vulnerable. She wanted to be strong for her baby, but she didn't think she could.

Sweat glistened on her forehead. Pain was coming in waves. She couldn't help but scream.

Was it like this for every woman, or was she being punished?

Tears stung her eyes, her heart was hammering in her chest. "Please... Stop... I'm scared..."

She tried to focus on her breathing, but she couldn't. Her lungs burn for oxygen, yet she couldn't calm herself down.

" _Breathe, sweet-pea. Everything's gonna be alright."_

"Lee…?" Clementine muttered. Even through her pained state she could recognize her former guardian's voice.

" _You're doing good. You're gonna be fine."_

His voice was comforting to her. She felt a bit calmer. "I… I knew you'd f-find me…" Clementine said.

" _You're going to be fine, Clem. Just keep breathing."_

"It… It hurts…" Clementine whimpered.

" _I know it hurts. But you'll be okay. You're strong, Clem. Remember that." Lee said._

Clementine shook her head. "I... I'm not ready… I'm not ready for this baby.

" _It's normal to be nervous and afraid, but you're not alone." Lee said, taking a seat by the girl._ _"Just breathe. It's going to be okay. Just breathe."_

"I don't want to be alone, please don't go." Clementine pleaded.

" _I'm not going anywhere." He said._

"I'm scared, Lee. I'm really scared." Clementine said.

" _I know, honey."_

"Am I… Am I going to die?"

" _No, sweet-pea. You'll be fine…" Lee reassured her. "Now, let's focus on breathing."_

"Okay, Lee." Clementine muttered.

* * *

"You think shooting off that gun was a smart idea. Looks like all you succeeded in doing is luring the dead to us." Hank said.

"Her screaming was only going to bring them anyway." Tavia said. "Anyway, the dead is the least of my concern. If Clementine's people are out there, hopefully they're on their way."

"We can't just stay here! All that noise screwed us, the dead just keep coming and coming. Her screams aren't helping the situation. We've been through enough shit. I say we let the kid go and head back to Howe's." Hank said.

"Not happening. We just have to wait." Tavia said.

"Waiting is gonna get us killed. You know as well as I do that noise draws walkers." Hank said. "I don't want to stand around and wait to die."

"We're not gonna die. Just calm the hell down." Tavia said. "The kid's been quiet for a while."

"She's probably scared, and in hella pain…" Hank said.

Tavia huffed and looked to Troy, "Go check on her, will you? Bring her clothes."

Troy gave a nod and made his way to the truck while Tavia and Hank continued their arguing. He opened the back of the truck, sunlight spilling inside.

The little girl shielded her eyes.

"Just making sure you're still alive. No baby yet?" Troy.

Clementine didn't respond. She kept her focus on regular breathing as she had a break from her contractions. She wasn't scared. Lee would protect her.

"You ignoring me, brat?" Troy inquired, voice slightly annoyed.

Clementine still said nothing.

"I brought your clothes. Didn't want you getting cold in here." Troy tossed the child's clothes towards her. The clothes landed beside her however, Clementine didn't even move to take them.

"Whatever… Be stupid." Troy grumbled then walked away, closing the truck once again.

" _You okay?" Lee asked the child._

"Yeah… I'm glad you're here." Clementine muttered as the truck closed.

" _Of course, hon. I'm not going anywhere. Everything's going to be alright." Lee said._

"Thank you." The child smiled.

* * *

Luke and Jane handed off their heavier weapons to Christa, Carlos, and Vince. Eddie took Luke's hand guns, to make it look as if he confiscated their weapons. They could only hope this plan would work.

Eddie led the group back to camp.

"You know a guy named Wyatt?" Vince suddenly asked.

"Wyatt?" Eddie turned to him with a shocked look.

"You know him, don't you?" Vince asked.

"Yeah… I know that asshole…" Eddie said. "Screw him. He took off on me, left me stranded."

"He told us what happened. He was being attacked." Vince said.

"That's no excuse. He has no idea what shit I went through." Eddie replied.

"Everyone's been through shit. You're not the only person." Jane said.

Eddie didn't respond.

They continued walking in silence.

"Alright…" Eddie spoke after several minutes of walking in silence. "We're close. It's right up ahead."

"What now?" Christa asked.

"You guys hang back behind cover, wait for an opening." Jane said.

They nodded in response. They group continued to walk further into the trees. They didn't stop until the camp came into view.

"Here goes nothing…" Eddie muttered.

He ushered Jane and Luke to step forward first. He had to make it believable that they were hostages. He aimed his gun at their backs.

Vince grabbed his arm causing him to pause. "You do anything stupid, and you'll regret it."

"I don't plan to." Eddie huffed.

Vince released him.

Jane and Luke stepped forward, with Eddie close behind them. The others kept back, watching through the trees.

As they moved forward, the guards seemed to notice them. They quickly aimed their guns at them.

"Don't move." Vaughn said. "Look who decided to come back."

"Hold on, this is a misunderstanding." Eddie claimed.

"Drop your gun." Troy demanded.

Eddie started to protest. "But-"

"Drop it!" Troy snapped.

Eddie sighed, he had no choice but to comply. He laid down his weapon, hoping they'd do the same.

Tavia looked over the three, surprised to see Jane and Luke. "Surprised to see you two again."

"I can say the same to you." Jane said.

"You really are keeping the baby? You excited to be a father, Luke?" Tavia's tone was harsh as she spoke.

Luke didn't respond to her question, instead he asked one of his own. "Where's Clementine."

"Where are the rest of your people?" Tavia questioned in response.

"Where's the kid? Just let her go." Luke said.

"She's still alive, if that's what you're worried about. Couldn't have the brat screaming." Troy answered.

"What did you do to her?" Luke asked, shooting him a glare.

"Nothing that hasn't been done before." Troy said.

"Fucking pervert." Jane grumbled.

"I've been called worse." Troy shrugged.

Eddie noticed Arvo on the ground, groaning in pain. "What happened to him?"

"What do you mean?" Tavia replied.

"What happened to the boy?" Eddie inquired again.

"He had an accident. He was trying to cover for a traitor." Tavia stated.

"Traitor?" Eddie raised a brow.

"You thought we wouldn't find out?" Tavia huffed.

"I wasn't betraying anybody. I went to scout ahead and found these two wandering through the woods." Eddie lied.

"Is that so?" Tavia asked, sending him a look of disbelief.

"Yeah…" Eddie said.

"So you checked them for weapons?" Tavia asked.

"Took everything they had." Eddie said.

"Good." Tavia said.

Eddie nodded and made his way over to Arvo, ignoring the guns still aimed at him by the others.

"I didn't think you'd actually find him." Tavia said to Jane. "You must have pretty good luck."

"I wouldn't say that." Jane replied.

"Well, you have better luck than most people." Tavia said. "You expect me to believe you and Luke are the only two here? Who's with you? You got an army waiting to attack?"

"It's just us here." Luke said.

"Bullshit!" Troy said.

"Yeah. I doubt you two are alone. You've been at some town, bet you made a lot of friends there. You the leader of that place?" Tavia asked Luke.

Luke tried to think of an answer. "Wha-"

Tavia cut him off. "Why else would you let yourself get caught?"

"What happened to the hardware store?" Jane suddenly asked.

"Things fell apart. Maybe if you hadn't left things would be different." Tavia said.

"Whatever happened is not my fault." Jane said. "Me staying wouldn't have changed anything."

"We could've worked something out." Tavia said. "We had a good thing going. If you stayed-"

"If I stayed nothing would be different." Jane cut in.

Tavia sent her a look. Before looking to Troy, "Tie them up."

Troy gave a nod. He started towards Jane, ready to tie her up.

"I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting you to go and get yourself knocked up." Troy said. "So whose baby is it? Luke's or mine?"

Troy walked closer until he stood in front of her. He reached out a hand to touch her swollen stomach, but before he could do so, Jane drew her gun and took aim.

Everyone was shocked, including her own group members, that wasn't the plan.

"Jane, what are you doing?" Luke asked.

Without missing a beat, Jane responded by pulling the trigger.

Troy screeched like a wounded animal, she had shot him in the groin. He crumbled to his knees. "YOU…YOU SHOT MY DICK OFF!" He yelled out as he began writhing around in pain.

The onlookers watched with wide eyes.

"Holy fuck…" Robert muttered.

The guards, and Tavia quickly aimed their weapons at them.

Jane and Luke both kept still.

"We… We don't want any trouble…" Luke said, keeping his hands where they could see them.

"Trouble? She shot his fucking dick off!" Vaughn said.

"Drop the gun." Tavia ordered to Jane.

Jane didn't have the chance to do so, before one of the guards was met with a bullet to the head.

"FUCK!" Hank exclaimed.

"It's a damn ambush!" Robert exclaimed.

Before anyone could further react, Tavia pulled the trigger on her gun. The fired shot hit in her side, just under her right breast. The woman staggered forward, falling face first.

"NO!" Luke yelled.

* * *

Christa, Carlos, and Vince kept behind cover, watching and waiting for an opened.

Christa tried her best to scan the area from her position, hoping to see Clementine. She couldn't catch sight of the child. "I don't see her… I don't see Clem…"

"I'm sure she's okay…" Carlos said.

"If she was raped, she's clearly not okay!" Christa hissed at him.

"We just have to stick to the plan. Wait for an opening." Carlos said.

"I don't know how much longer I can wait." Christa replied.

"We have no other choice. We can't…" Carlos trailed off as they noticed Jane draw her gun.

"What's she doing?" Vince said.

When the shot rang out, their eyes widened.

"Oh fuck…" Vince muttered.

They watched Troy crumble to the ground and noticed the others aim their weapons at Luke and Jane.

Vince wasted no time in aiming at one of the men. From his position in the woods, Vince fired a shot. He hit one of the men and watched the body collapsed to the ground.

"FUCK!" Hank exclaimed.

"It's a damn ambush!" Robert exclaimed.

Before anyone could further react, Tavia pulled the trigger on her gun. The fired shot hit Jane and the woman staggered forward, falling face first.

"NO!" Luke yelled.

Moments later, a loud return of fire filled the air, the shells boring holes into the trees that Carlos, Christa, and Vince were behind. Several shots were fired on both sides.

* * *

Jane pressed a hand to her wound, blood oozing between her fingers.

Luke dropped to Jane's side, pulling the woman into his arms. Jane let out a pained yell as he lifted her. He half carried, half dragged her as he made his way through the hail of bullets and towards cover. Luckily for them, Christa, Carlos, and Vince, helped cover them, as they made their way behind some trees.

Eddie quickly helped Arvo to his feet and supported the boy as Arvo limped his way behind the trees as well.

Luke quickly rested Jane on the ground face-up.

Jane's eyes were wide. She tried to speak, but couldn't force the words. She kept her hand over her wound, creating pressure to stop the bleeding.

"Here, let me take over." Luke's voice was frantic and his hand were shaking as he moved them under Jane's. Blood soaked through Jane's shirt and onto his hands.

"You alright, man?" Eddie asked Arvo.

Arvo didn't respond as he clutched his leg.

"What do we do?" Luke asked. "She… She's been shot!"

"The boy's shot too. We gotta stop the bleeding." Eddie said.

"With what?" Luke asked.

"Your shirt... Press it against the wound." Eddie told him.

Luke gave a nod and removed his shirt. He pressed the sleeve against the bleeding area and tried to stop, or at least slow, the blood flow.

Jane groaned in pain. She was still conscious, though barely.

"Sorry…" Luke said.

Eddie meanwhile ripped a piece off his own shirt and helped Arvo use it to bind his leg. "That should hold for now."

"Thank you…" Arvo said.

Eddie just nodded. "Okay… We need a new plan… We-"

He was cut off by a sudden cry of terror and pain.

Luke nearly jumped to his feet. "That's Clem! She's hurt, I gotta-"

"Keep pressure on that wound!" Eddie ordered as he stood.

Luke glanced towards the truck. "But-"

"You can't let her bleed out, damn it…" Eddie said.

Luke frowned and kept pressure against Jane's wound.

"I'm gonna check on the kid, make sure she's not hurt." Eddie said.

"Yeah… Okay… But what about Jane? She needs help. We… We need to get Carlos. He's a doctor." Luke said.

"He can't help her if they're firing off shots." Eddie said. "Just stay here… Keep pressure on the wound."

"I will help…" Arvo said. "I… I want to help."

"Are you sure, kid?" Eddie asked. "Your leg's still hurt."

"I want to help." Arvo repeated.

"I don't know, man." Eddie said.

"Please?" Arvo said. He wanted to at least try to help.

Eddie sighed, "Alright, let's go."

He offered Arvo his hand, which the boy took. He helped the boy stand, Arvo struggled a bit, but he managed to get to his feet.

The two made their way to the truck. Eddie pulled the door open and they both frowned at what they saw.

The child was laying down, using her clothes as a pillow, whimpering in pain.

"Fuck… Are you okay, kid?" Eddie asked.

Clementine kept quiet for a moment before glancing to him. "Wha- What's going on?"

"Don't worry about that right now. What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?" Eddie asked.

Clementine whimpered a bit more, "Y-Yes…"

"From what Troy did?" Eddie asked.

The child furrowed her brows and shook her head, then she nodded. She was unsure.

"Where… does it hurt?" Eddie questioned the child.

"M-My stomach…" Clementine whimpered.

"The water broke…" Arvo suddenly said.

"W-What?" Eddie stammered, hoping he hadn't heard correctly.

"The water broke…" Arvo said.

"Her water-" Eddie cut himself off and his eyes grew wide, "Shit! You're in labor?"

"I… I don't know…" Clementine said. "It… It h-hurts too much!"

"Okay, okay…. Just breathe… You're gonna be fine…" Eddie paused for a moment, trying to think of a plan. "We gotta get out of here… Damn it, I need the keys."

"Keys? Where are keys?" Arvo asked.

"Tavia probably has them… If not her, Troy…" Eddie said. "Stay with the kid, man. You two will be safe in the truck."

Arvo looked reluctant, but nodded.

"NO! D-Don't leave us in here!" Clementine cried.

"You'll be fine." Eddie said.

"I-It's dark… It's s-scary! Don't leave us!" Clementine pleaded.

"I… I'll leave the door open." Eddie said. "Just sit tight…"

"O-Okay…" Clementine stammered.

Eddie walked back over to check in on Luke and Jane first. He needed to figure out a way to get those keys.

* * *

The gunfire between the two groups was drawing walkers, as the sound from their weapons reverberated throughout the woods.

Many of Tavia's remaining group members began turning their focus on the walkers, shooting at them instead. Tavia however, kept her gun firing at their assailants behind the trees.

"There's too many of them!" Hank said. "They just keep coming!"

"Keep shooting!" Tavia said, pulling the trigger on her own gun. She heard someone groan from the trees, and moments later she noticed a familiar figure running towards a new cover, clutching their shoulder.

Tavia paused and uttered with a confused tone, "Vince?" Her expression twisted into one of anger. "I should've known." She grumbled.

"Tavia, we got to get out of here. Let's just walk away. It's not worth it…" Hank said.

"It is, Hank. It definitely is." Tavia replied.

"People are dying, and for what? Some stupid town?" Hank retorted.

"We gotta get out of here!" A man yelled.

"I said keep shooting!" Tavia ordered. She was started to get frustrated. Her own people were no longer listening, and with all the chaos going on there was no gaining back control. "This isn't about the town, Hank. This is about justice."

"Justice? Justice for what?" Hank questioned.

"All the suffering they put people through." Tavia replied.

"What about what we're doing now? We have a child locked in a truck, and you just shot a pregnant woman." Hank pointed out.

"They took the first shots. I got even with them." Tavia said. "Come on, Hank. Now's not the time to argue with me. You know they've done wrong."

"So have we. Nobody's hands are clean anymore, and this isn't worth getting people killed." Hank said. "Anybody with common sense will walk away."

"This is where we're at now! Either you're with me, or you're against me. Don't be stupid, it'll only get you ki-"

Her words were interrupted by another blast of gunfire. Time seemed to stop as a bullet crashed from its flight into Hank's chest, sending him to the ground with a groan.

Tavia's eyes widened. She didn't care if he had most likely been hit by a stray bullet than by someone aiming at him, she blamed this on Vince and his people. They needed to pay.

* * *

"Jane, you awake?" Luke asked, voice full of concern.

The woman's eyes fluttered opened.

That was answer enough for him. "Good… Just… Just stay awake…"

Jane tried her best to keep awake, however a short moment later she felt a sudden alertness. An intense rush of pain ripped through her stomach. Jane yelped bringing a weak hand to her stomach. She could feel a wetness between her legs. "S-Something's wrong…" Jane suddenly muttered.

"You're gonna be fine. Everything's fine." Luke said.

Jane gave a weak shake of the head. "I… I'm b-bleeding…"

Luke frowned and adjusted the shirt, adding a bit more pressure. "You're gonna be fine, Jane." He said once more.

"Luke… I'm **_bleeding_**." Jane said again.

"I know." Luke sighed.

Jane once again shook her head. "T-The baby…"

More blood ran warmly down her thighs, soaking its way through her jeans. Jane knew she was losing her baby—a baby that she hadn't even wanted. She didn't want to be a mother, so why could she feel her heart breaking?

"Oh shit… Oh shit…." Luke panicked, his blood ran cold as he suddenly noticed blood coming from Jane's pants. Part of him wanted to cry. This was his baby. He was supposed to protect it. He couldn't believe this was happening. "We need Carlos… We…"

"The kid's in labor!" Eddie suddenly said as he rushed over to them.

"W-What?" Luke asked.

"The little girl… Arvo told me her water broke." Eddie said.

"FUCK… Well, we got another problem…" Luke said, his heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"What's wrong?" Eddie looked to Jane who wore a pained expression on her face.

"I think Jane's having a miscarriage." Luke said, dread in his voice.

* * *

The sound of gunfire around them was making Arvo anxious. Clementine's whimpers and cries weren't helping him to feel any calmer, and neither were the walkers outside.

He couldn't help but be reminded about the gunfight that happened between Clementine's group and his own. His mind drifted to that day. How he had lost all his friends… How he had lost his sister.

He had no one left. And it was all thanks to Clementine and her group.

Arvo looked to the girl who was wearing a pained expression. He jumped as he heard a snarl from outside. He looked and noticed walkers making their way towards the truck.

"Oh no…" Arvo muttered.

Clementine looked to him. "Wha-What's wrong?"

Arvo didn't reply. He knew if they stayed in the truck they were going to be killed. He had few choices, stay with Clementine, or take off and leave the girl to fend for herself.

"Arvo?" Clementine called.

He was already injured, he knew he wouldn't be able to protect the girl. He couldn't haul her to her feet and make a break for it either, not with a bullet in his leg. It wasn't like the girl would get to far while she was in labor either.

Arvo frowned, "I… I'm sorry, Clementine…"

"For what?" The little girl asked.

Arvo didn't respond as he limped his way over to the exit of the truck.

The child was confused. He couldn't be leaving her, right? He wouldn't do that… "A-Arvo?"

"I'm sorry…" He repeated.

Clementine forced herself to sitting position and watched as he climbed out the truck with some struggle. Once his feet touch the group Arvo wasted no time in limping away. "W-Wait!"

He didn't. A few walkers noticed him and began to follow after him, while the others seemed to keep their focus on getting into the truck.

Clementine panicked as she watched him walk away. She wanted to run herself, but she was in too much pain to do so. She couldn't die… Not here, not now.

She hoped someone would come help her soon.

* * *

"I'm going to get help… Just… Stay with her. Make sure to keep pressure on the wound." Eddie said.

"What about Clementine?" Luke asked.

"Arvo's with her." Eddie replied.

"Arvo… Arvo can't help her…" Luke stated.

"They'll be fine. Her contractions aren't too close together yet." Eddie said. "They should be safe in the truck."

Luke sighed. "This is fucked… We're so fucked…"

"Just calm down… Stay with her… Make sure she's okay…" Eddie motioned toward Jane.

Luke nodded.

Eddie started to maneuver his way towards where Christa and Carlos were. He had to avoid the flying bullets. Finally, he made it to the side of the cover they were on. "Guys,"

Christa whipped around, aiming her gun at her.

"It's just me." Eddie quickly said.

Christa swore, but lowered her gun. "Shit... don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry…" Eddie said.

"Did you find my girl? Where's Clementine?" Christa questioned.

"The boy, Arvo's with her." Eddie explained.

"Arvo? That piece of shit that shot her?" Christa said.

Eddie was surprised to hear that. "What?"

"He shot my girl a few weeks ago. Nearly killed her. And you're telling me he's behind this?" Christa inquired, anger was rushing through her.

"He says he wants to help." Eddie said.

"Bullshit." Christa said.

"He's trying to help. He's gonna stay with her." Eddie replied.

"I don't like this." Carlos muttered.

"Look, I think the kid's in labor…" Eddie informed them.

"What?" Carlos said.

"She's in what?" Christa asked.

"Her water broke… And I think that woman, Jane had a miscarriage." Eddie said.

Carlos's eyes widened. "I'll go check on them."

"Wait, we need to get out of here." Eddie said.

"How?" Carlos asked.

"The truck. Tavia has the key." Eddie said.

"And how do you purpose we get the key?" Christa asked.

"I'm not sure, but if we can disarm Tavia things would be a lot easier." Eddie said.

They looked over to Tavia who was telling her people to "keep shooting". The guards however weren't listening, many of them were searching for an exit. Most had been injured while others were dead, some from accidental shots of their own group's bullets, some from walkers.

"And how should we do that?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know, but we'll run out of bullets eventually. If we stay here we're all dead." Eddie said.

"He's right... We're sitting ducks here, and we can't risk waiting any longer, Jane and Clementine need help." Christa said.

"So what do we do?" Eddie said.

"We'll cover Carlos, so he can get to Jane..." Christa said. "Then... You're gonna sneak up on Tavia and disarm her, while I distract her."

Eddie sighed but gave a slow nod. "Alright."

With the plan settled, they made sure to cover Carlos so the doctor could make his way over to the injured.

Vince also continued to fire shots from where he was. And they quickly noticed he had Tavia's attention.

"Alright let's do this." Eddie said, once Carlos was no longer in the opened. "Just keep shooting."

"Got it." Christa said.

With Christa and Vince both distracting the woman, Eddie started to make his way towards her, keeping low and ducking behind cover to avoid being shot.

He managed to sneak up behind the woman and aim his gun to her back. "Drop your gun."

"I knew you were a fucking traitor." Tavia said.

"Just drop the gun, now." Eddie said.

"Why don't you shoot me?" Tavia asked.

"I don't want to shoot you. We just want to leave. And I need the key to the truck." Eddie said.

"Too bad you're not getting it." Tavia responded.

Seeing Tavia was held at gun point, Vince and Christa approached.

"If you want to shoot me, do it." Tavia said. "You folks must be good at ruining lives."

"My girl, where is she?" Christa asked.

"In the truck. I wonder if she's given birth by now." Tavia forced a chuckle. "Poor kid."

"Just give us the key. This can all be over." Christa said.

"Why should I? So you can take our vehicle and leave us stranded? If you want the key, you're gonna have to shoot me." Tavia replied.

"We just want to leave. After what you people did to my girl, you're lucky I don't shoot you." Christa said.

"Why don't you?" Tavia said.

"You're not worth the damn bullet. Give us the key." Christa said in a firm tone.

"I don't have it… Troy did." Tavia huffed.

"Alright then." Vince said. "I'll get it."

He headed over to Troy who was being munched on by a walker. Vince easily killed the creature and dug into Troy's pocket, pulling out the key. He held it up to show Eddie and Christa, walking back over to them.

"Alright… We'll checking in on the Clementine. You go get Carlos and the others." Christa said to Vince.

Vince gave a nod and walked off.

"They're gonna die anyway. Jane, Clementine. All of you." Tavia said.

Christa stopped for a brief moment and said without looking back. "You can keep on hoping."

Tavia didn't offer a response as Christa and Eddie walked away.

Tavia stood there for a few moments, not noticing a walker creeping up on her, until it had already grabbed her.

* * *

By the time Carlos had gotten over, Jane had fallen unconscious.

Luke had managed to slow the bleeding from the gunshot wound. "She... She's lost a lot of blood." Luke said, his voice sounding quaky. "Is she gonna be okay? Is the baby gonna be okay..."

"I can't say yet... " Carlos replied. "Keep pressure on the wound."

The doctor dug into his bag and pulled out the first-aid kit he had packed. "I'm gonna cut her shirt so I can treat her would. I'll suture it once was get back to town." He brought out a pair of scissors, squares of gauze, and a bandage.

"Need a hand?" Vince asked as he came over.

"I'm going to need you to take over for Luke." Carlos said.

"We got the key. We can get the hell out of here." Vince said.

"Good. How's Clementine?" Carlos asked.

"Christa's checking on her now." Vince replied.

"You're injured too…" Carlos pointed out, noticing his bleeding shoulder.

"Don't worry about me… You can patch me up later." Vince stated.

"We don't want it to get infected…" Carlos said with a shake of his head. "I'll deal with it after I finished with Jane."

"Alright…" Vince said.

Carlos nodded. "After I finish we'll head out. Can you drive back."

"Me?" Vince asked.

"I'll have to stay in the back with Clementine and Jane. And Luke and Christa are both too worked up right now."

"Alright. I'll drive." Vince said.

* * *

Christa and Eddie rushed towards the truck, immediately spotting the walkers trying to crawl their way inside to get to Clementine.

Eddie aimed his gun at one of the walkers, but it clicked. "Fuck…"

He rushed forward grabbing the creature and shoving it back.

It fell to the ground but made a grab for his leg. Everything was happening so fast and with his adrenaline rushing, he didn't feel the pain as the creature skin its teeth into his skin. Eddie quickly composed himself and kicked the creature away, Christa fired a shot at the walker's head.

It didn't take long for them to kill the group of walkers.

"You okay, did it get you?" Christa asked.

"N-No… I think I'm good." Eddie said, taking a moment to catch his breath.

Christa furrowed her brows. "You think?"

"I'm good, okay?" Eddie said.

Christa sent him a suspicious look before turning to Clementine. She climbed into the truck and called to the girl, "Clementine!"

"C-Christa!" The young girl exclaimed.

Christa wrapped her arms around the child, holding her close. "It's alright, Clem... I'm here now..." She hated to see the poor kid in turmoil. She wanted to make everything okay. Christa picked up the child's shirt. "Let's put this on you."

"I… I'm hurt…" Clementine sniffled.

"I know… I know… You're going to be okay… We're going to get out of here." Christa slipped the child's t-shirt over the girl's head.

"W-What about my pants?" Clementine asked.

"We'll keep them off for now…" Christa said. "When did you start having pain?"

"A… A little after I left town…" Clementine said. "I…I didn't think it was anything serious…"

"How often are you getting contractions?" Christa asked.

"…I… don't know… I don't know! Please, make it is st-stop hurting!" Clementine said.

"Shh... It's alright… You're gonna be okay." Christa said. "How bad does it hurt?"

"It… feels like when I… have cramps…" Clementine said. "Really bad cramps."

"Okay…" Christa said. She knew the contractions were going to get worse, but they weren't super strong now since Clementine was in her early stage of labor. "You must have been so scared in here…"

Clementine didn't respond for a moment. "Lee's here…"

"Lee…?" Christa sighed. "Clem-"

"Wh-Where's Promise? I lost him." Clementine interrupted her.

"I got him…" Christa dug into her backpack, pulling the stuffed toy out. She handed it to the girl. "Don't worry."

"T-Thank you…" The child said.

"You're welcome, Clementine." Christa said.

"Christa…" Clementine called in a tiny voice.

"Yes?" Christa said.

"I'm sorry…" The child mumbled.

"Shh…" Christa pulled the child close again. "It's okay… We're gonna go home soon."

"Where's Arvo?" Eddie asked, seeing the boy was nowhere to be found. "Don't tell me he left her alone in the truck…"

"I'm not surprised." Christa grumbled. "At least we got to her before the walkers did."

"Right… That's good…" Eddie said. "Maybe I should look for the boy."

"What for?" Christa said.

"We can't just leave him out here." Eddie said. "I know what that's like."

"He left us, and after all he's done… I don't think he's safe to be around." Christa said. "For all we know he's dead already.

"You… might be right. But I hope he's okay…" Eddie said.

"With all the walkers… We won't even be okay if we don't get a move on soon." Christa said.

Eddie sighed. He knew she was right. But he knew what it was like to feel abandoned. He didn't want to leave the boy. However, he could believe Arvo had just left little Clementine alone, and surrounded by walkers. He hadn't thought the boy could be dangerous, but he of all people knew that you couldn't trust anyone. Not anymore.

* * *

After treating Jane's and Vince's wounds to the best of his ability, with what supplies he had, Carlos packed up the first-aid supplies while Luke and Vince helped the unconscious Jane into the truck.

Once they were all inside, Vince started the vehicle and they began the trip back towards the town.

The trip back towards the town seemed much longer than they remembered. The ride was silent, besides screams from Clementine every now and then. Christa held the small girl in her lap, making sure to remind her to keep breathing.

The truck finally slowed as it approached the front of their town. The group members got out of the vehicle. Christa carried Clementine in her arms, while Luke and Carlos helped Jane.

"Head to the church." Carlos ordered.

They did as he said, and upon arriving they were surprised to see the other group members inside.

Immediately Kenny jumped to his feet upon spotting them.

"Wha-What's going on? What's happening?!" Kenny asked.

"Jane's been shot." Vince replied.

"Fuck! Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" Bonnie asked.

"I need to suture her…" Carlos sighed. "Everyone just give me space."

Carlos and Luke headed to the back of the church so Carlos could tend to Jane.

"You guys were gone so long, we were getting worried-" Wyatt cut himself off as he noticed Eddie step inside. "Holy shit…"

"Surprised to see me?" Eddie huffed.

"I… I didn't think you were alive, man…" Wyatt said. "I'm glad to see you…"

"That's shocking, coming from the guy who left me…" Eddie replied.

Wyatt sighed at that.

Eddie said nothing else, he headed to the direction Carlos and Luke had went to help out.

Kenny made his way over to Christa and Clementine. "Thank God you found her. You okay, Clem?"

"Her water broke. She's in labor." Christa answered for the child.

Kenny's eyes grew wide. "Holy shit! What are we going to do?"

Christa was cradling the small girl in her arms. "Kenny, please… She's been traumatized enough for the day."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kenny demanded.

Christa just shook her head and walked passed him. She laid the child on one of the pews. "Just keep breathing, Clem. You're gonna be alright."

"C-Can… Can I sleep now?" Clementine asked.

"Can you wait for Carlos to check on you?" Christa asked.

"O-Okay…" Clementine agreed.

"Good." Christa took a blanket that was laid on the pew and placed it over the girl to cover her. "Alright… I'm gonna go talk to Carlos…"

"NO!" Clementine quickly grabbed her guardian's hand.

"I'll be right back, sweetie… I promise." Christa said. "Sarita,"

Sarita glanced over, getting to her feet she made her way to them. "Yes?"

"Can you keep an eye on her really quick?" Christa asked the woman.

"Of course." Sarita said.

Clementine was still reluctant to break her hold on her guardian's hand. "D-Don't go..."

"I'm not leaving you, okay? I'm just going to talk to Carlos. If you need me, you can call me." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head. Christa sighed, slipping her hand from the child's grip. She ignored the girl's protest and made her way towards Carlos.

* * *

After setting Jane on one of the church pews, Carlos left Luke with Jane while he went to grab his medical bag.

Luke did as he said, he was trying not to panic but it was hard with everything that was going on. He found himself pacing and biting at his nails. Jane hadn't so much as stirred since she had fallen unconscious in the woods.

When Carlos returned, Luke had to ask the doctor the question that was on his mind. "Carlos… Did… Did she… Did she lose the baby?" Luke asked, feeling his heart clenching at the thought.

Carlos didn't speak for a moment, as he began getting his supplies ready. "She lost a lot of blood… As far as I can tell… the trauma along with the fall was… too much for the baby… It caused her to miscarry."

"Fuck… This is my fault… I shouldn't have let her come…" Luke said.

"Luke, it's no one's fault…" Carlos said. "You didn't know that was going to happen. If she had stuck to the plan… maybe things would have gone smoother."

Luke sighed. "She's gonna be okay, right?"

"She should be… She'll just need to rest and recover." Carlos said.

"What about Clem…?" Luke asked with some hesitation.

"I… can't say…" Carlos replied. "I'll check in on her after this."

"You two okay here?" Christa asked as she walked over.

"Can you thread the needle, I'm going to clean her wound again." Carlos said.

Christa nodded and started to thread the needle while Carlos focused on cleaning the wound.

"Carlos, we need to talk." Christa said as she finished threading the needle.

Carlos bit back a sigh as he nodded. "What is it?

"It's about Clem… Is she gonna be alright?" Christa asked.

"That's a hard question to answer…" Carlos said.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"We don't have the supplies we need for a baby to be born, especially a premature infant." Carlos said. It was disturbing news, knowing Clementine wasn't even in her seventh month yet. Carlos was worried.

"Well, tell me what we need. I'll look for it." Luke said.

"It's too late right now." Carlos said. "It'll be dark soon."

"So what do we do now?" Christa asked.

"We'll just monitor her tonight… I'm going to check how dilated she is… Early labor can last up to twelve hours…" Carlos said.

"She said she was having contractions since she left town. She's probably gonna end up giving birth in the middle of the night. If we need supplies, we need people to go find them now." Christa said.

Carlos didn't respond as he started to stitch Jane's wound.

"What do we need?" Christa asked.

"I need a couple people to take a trip to the hospital and bring back an oxygen machine for one."

"Oxygen…?" Luke said.

"Premature infants usually have a hard time breathing because their lungs aren't fully developed…" Carlos explained. "If the baby doesn't get enough oxygen, it will affect all the organs."

"What else?" Christa asked.

"A pulsoxymetrie, a C-PAP, we also need more feeding tubes, and a defibrillator. You'll probably be able to find an AED." Carlos said. "We might need a wheelchair, and if you can find a breast pump, that'd be good."

"A breast pump? You think she should nurse?" Christa asked.

"I don't want to risk that the baby might be allergic to formula. We'll decide once the baby is here…" Carlos said.

"This is a lot... Maybe you should go…" Luke said.

"I can't leave Clementine... I have to be here." Carlos said.

"But how do we know what to look for?" Luke asked.

"I'll go..." Christa said. "I've seen what a lot of this stuff looked like in medical school."

"Alright…" Carlos had finished stitching Jane's wound and was bandaging it. "The sooner you guys can bring this stuff back, the better. And if you can find a medication called "surfactin" bring that back as well."

Christa nodded.

"What's that do?" Luke asked.

"It helps to keep the lungs open…" Carlos explained as he finished bandaging Jane's wound. "I'm going to check in on Clementine."

Christa followed after him.

* * *

Sarita was holding Clementine's hand as the girl seemed to be having a contraction. Sarah and Becca were also sitting beside their young friend. Both teens were looking concerned, however Becca seemed a bit annoyed.

"You really are an idiot sometimes. Why the hell would you leave in the first place?"

"Becca…" Sarita said in a warning tone.

"I… I thought it was… better that way." Clementine said.

"Of course it's not. You're so stupid." Becca huffed.

"Becca." Sarita said firmer.

The teen rolled her eyes. "What?"

"…I'm sorry." Clementine suddenly said.

Becca's gaze softened and she sighed. "No… I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so harsh."

"Are you okay, Clem?" Sarah asked.

Clementine gave a shake of her head.

"How… bad does it hurt?" Becca asked.

"Bad…" Clementine simply replied. "I just want it to stop…"

"I can't believe you're actually going to have a baby…" Sarah said. "You're… just a kid."

"Yeah… This is crazy…" Becca agreed.

"I… I just want it to s-stop hurting…" Clementine said through gritted teeth.

"You'll be alright, Clem…" Sarita assured the girl.

"Is… Is Jane okay?" Clementine asked as she noticed Christa and Carlos approaching.

"She's going to be fine…" Carlos said. "I'm here to check on you."

"W-Why does it h-hurt so much?" Clementine asked.

"You're going to get through this…" Christa said. "Don't worry."

"I-I'm scared…" Clementine whimpered.

"I know… I know, sweetie. But you're strong… You're gonna be alright…" Christa said.

"Christa said you were having contractions since you left town?" Carlos said. "Is that correct."

Clementine nodded. "They… They weren't too bad… So I tried to ignore them. B-But now, it really h-hurts…"

"I'm going to check to see how far you're dilated." Carlos said.

Clementine tensed and sent the doctor a look of fear. "I… I don't want you to… to look down there…"

"Clementine, he has to… I'm right here with you. Don't be scared." Christa said.

"Is… Is it going to hurt?" Clementine asked.

"I won't hurt you… I promise." Carlos said.

"O-Okay…" Clementine stammered. "Okay… D-Don't hurt me please."

Clementine clenched her eyes shut as the doctor proceeded to check her. He informed her that she was at about four centimeters.

"I want to move her upstairs. I'd rather her be in a more private area." Carlos said.

"But…S-Sarah said she'll hold my hand…" Clementine said.

"I… don't know if that's a good idea." Carlos said. He didn't want Sarah to see if things took a turn for the worse.

"But… She promised…" Clementine complained.

"Yeah, dad… I promised." Sarah said.

"You can stay with her for a while… But only until it's time to push…" Carlos said.

"…Okay…" Sarah sighed, but agreed.

* * *

After helping to move Clementine upstairs to the infirmary, Christa proceeded to gather up some group members to go to the hospital. She ended up asking Wyatt, Russell, Bonnie, Mike, and Eddie. With Vince being injured and Luke in his state of panic, she figured it'd be best if they stayed back.

Kenny and Sarita had gone upstairs with AJ, to help out with Clementine.

The ride to the hospital was tense. Wyatt and Eddie had some clear bad blood, but Christa just hoped they would focus on the task at hand.

They brought flashlights in order to see through the darkness of the hospital. Upon arriving, Christa explained to them what they needed to look for and they split up into two groups to find the needed supplies. Her, Eddie, and Mike headed to find the maternity ward, while Wyatt, Russell, and Bonnie focused on finding the defibrillator and the wheelchair.

"So... that guy, Eddie... he's your old friend, right? The one you mentioned when it was just us." Russell asked.

"Yeah. That's him. Dude's definitely pissed at me." Wyatt sighed.

"Can you really blame him? I'd be pissed too if I ran into the guy who ditched me." Russell said.

"It wasn't like that... I told you what happened." Wyatt said. "I still feel like a piece of shit for it."

"Just give him some time, Wyatt. He can't stay mad at you forever." Bonnie said.

"Not everyone is quick to forgive." Wyatt said.

"You of all people know that Bonnie. Clem seemed to have an obvious problem with you for a while." Russell said.

"We worked it out… Kind of…" Bonnie said. "I just... I hope Clem will make it. Through giving birth, I mean… That's gonna be rough on her. I'm worried."

"We all are, but we gotta trust that things will be alright." Wyatt said. "Carlos will do what he can."

"I know that, but he's only one person. She's not at a hospital with a team of doctors... Something could easily go wrong with her or the baby." Bonnie said.

"Let's not think about that..." Russell said. "It's hard enough knowing that kid's gonna give birth."

"It's hard not to think about it… I just hope the girl is okay…" Bonnie said.

"Yeah. We all hope so… I can't believe this is happening…" Wyatt said. "Poor kid…"

"I just keep thinking we need to prepare ourselves for the worse..." Bonnie said.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're probably right…" Russell said.

"This is so fucked…" Wyatt sighed.

* * *

Christa, Eddie, and Mike worked on gathering what supplies they needed in silence.

"So… What's the tension between you and Wyatt?" Christa asked.

Eddie huffed. "Went through a lot of shit after he ditched me… You don't do that to your friends."

"He ditched you?" Mike asked.

"Yeah… We were being chased by some psycho asshole… We ended up hitting a cop and I went out to check on him. Next thing I know, Wyatt was pulling off in the car." Eddie explained.

"Damn…" Mike said.

Christa noted Eddie was walking with a noticeable limp. "You alright?"

"I'm good. Don't worry." Eddie said.

"I can tell when people are lying." Christa said.

"Let's just find what we need for this kid…" Eddie tried changing the subject. He wanted to evade the uncomfortable questions.

Christa gave him a look but decided to drop it for now. "Okay then…"

"Doesn't look like anyone's gonna be sleeping tonight." Mike huffed.

"I'm not worried about that. My only concern right now is Clementine." Christa said.

"Yeah…" Mike said.

They continued their search for supplies, and after almost an hour they had managed to gather the supplies Carlos had asked for.

"Alright… I think we're good. Let's meet up with the others." Christa said.

Eddie and Mike nodded.

The trio started towards the front lobby of the hospital however, Eddie stopped as he suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through his leg.

Something was wrong. Each step he tried to take, he found himself almost tripping. "Fuck…"

"You good, man?" Mike asked.

"I'm fine." Eddie claimed. He wasn't fine. His head was spinning and pain was shooting up and down his leg.

"You don't look too good." Mike noted.

"I said I'm fine." Eddie said in a firmer tone.

"Okay…" Mike said.

Eddie ignored the pain as he continued walking. His mind was spinning, everything was such a blur. He didn't recall making it to the lobby neither did he remember how he ended up on the ground.

However, when he heard the concerned voices of the group members he was surprised, yet unable to respond. He lied there and gasped for air, coughing. he felt intense pain throb through his body.

"What happened, is he okay?" Wyatt asked.

"I... I don't know. He just passed out." Mike said.

Christa however, had an idea of what was wrong. With slight hesitation, she rolled up his pants leg and her fears were confirmed. "Guys..."

"What?" Bonnie said.

"He's been bit." Christa said.

Eddie froze. _Bit?_ A bite was poison without a cure. A death sentence. He couldn't have been bit.

He wanted to ask if he heard correctly, wanted to check for himself. He didn't get the chance to, moments later everything went dark.

* * *

Despite being in pain, Clementine was exhausted. After pleading with Carlos to let her go to sleep, the doctor agreed.

When the girl showed clear signs of having a nightmare Kenny decided it was best to wake her up. With a delicate touch, Kenny rubbed a hand over the child's curly hair.

Clementine stirred slightly. "No..."

"Clementine, darlin', it's me. It's just Kenny. You're safe." Kenny said.

The child's little hands flew upward, as though trying to defend herself. Kenny avoided the girl's failing hand. "Clem, listen to me, darlin'. You're safe."

"NO!" Clementine struggled a bit more.

Kenny restrained the child so she wouldn't injure herself. "It's me, Clem. It's just Kenny."

Slowly her struggles died down and her eyes focused on him. "K-Kenny?"

"That's right." Kenny said. "It was just a bad dream, darlin'."

"W-Where's Christa?" Clementine asked.

"She's should be back soon." Kenny said. "Just try to relax…"

Clementine gave small nod, clutching closer to Promise.

Kenny decide to try to turn the child's attention to something other than pain. "So… You got your name all picked out?"

Clementine took a moment to process the question. "Name...?"

"Still gonna name the baby after Lee?" Kenny asked.

"Y-Yes… If it's… a boy." Clementine replied.

"And what if it's a girl?" Sarita questioned.

"I… I don't know…" Clementine said.

"You could still name the baby Lee if it's a girl." Sarita said.

Clementine shook her head. "I don't… I don't want to name it Lee, if it's a girl."

"Then what do you want to name it?" Becca questioned.

"Well… I still want it to have a name to honor Lee, but… I want her name to honor my mom too." Clementine said.

"What's your mom's name?" Kenny asked.

"Diana." Clementine said. "I don't know… I still want to name it after Lee though..."

"Hmm… What about Aleena?" Sarita said.

"Aleena?" Clementine repeated.

"It means light. It also means beauty." Sarita told her. "I'm sure it has several other meanings too."

"I like it… Aleena…" Clementine gave a tiny smile. "Aleena Diane."

"That's pretty." Sarah smiled.

"Thanks." Clementine said. "I… I'm sure Goofball w-will be happy to have a playmate."

"Yeah…" Kenny said. "He sure will."

* * *

"Fuck… How the hell did this happen?" Wyatt asked.

"Earlier…" Christa said.

Russell raised a brow. "And you guys brought him back, know he was bit?"

"We didn't know. I don't think he even knew." Christa explained.

"How didn't he know?" Mike asked.

"I don't know. Just stop with the questions. We need to figure out what we're gonna do." Christa said.

"Isn't it obvious, he's bit. We can't take him back to the group." Russell said.

"We can't just leave him!" Wyatt argued.

"Why not? You did it before, right?" Mike retorted.

"You don't even know what happened, dude. Don't be an asshole." Wyatt hissed.

"I'm not. I'm just stating the truth." Mike said.

"That was uncalled for, man." Russell said.

"Was it really?" Mike said. "Y'all know what a bite means."

"I don't think we should take him, but I don't know about ditching him either. Maybe we can… quarantine him or something…" Russell said.

"We don't have time for this. We gotta get back to Clem." Christa said.

"So what do we do?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm not willing to just leave him here, not after he helped Clementine…" Christa said.

"Alright then. It's settled." Wyatt said.

"This is a dumb idea. I don't like it." Mike sighed.

"You don't like a lot of shit." Wyatt said. "Let's go."

Mike huffed but helped him pulled Eddie up.

With their supplies the group headed back out to their truck.

* * *

Carlos had checked Clementine's vitals, before once again checking how dilated she was. When he told her, she was at six centimeters the girl was stuff confused. However, when Carlos explained that she would have to be ready to push once she reached ten centimeters the child panicked.

"I want L-Luke! I…I need him in here!" Clementine said.

"Clem…" Carlos sighed.

"I want him!" The girl exclaimed.

"…I'll get him…" Kenny said.

Carlos gave a nod.

Kenny headed to search for Luke. He found the younger man pacing around at the front of the church. "What are you doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked, not even giving him a glance.

"Clementine's up there, scared and in pain. She's asking for you." Kenny said.

Luke sighed. "I… can't go up there."

"And why the hell not?" Kenny demanded.

"I can't see it again." Luke said.

"See what?" Kenny asked.

"See a baby die." Luke said.

Kenny knew Luke was distraught about losing the child Jane had been carrying, but he needed to focus on other matters as well. "Jane is alive... The baby might not have made it... but at least she did. We don't know what the outcome will be for Clementine."

"Exactly. Which is why I don't want to be there. I can't watch Clem die. And I don't want to watch a baby, that might be mine, kill her." Luke said.

"Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you need to focus on Clementine." Kenny said.

"You call this feeling sorry for myself. Do you have the slightest idea what I'm going through right now?" Luke growled.

"You have some nerve to ask that. I lost my son, my wife, my friend… I lost everyone and everything." Kenny said. "I know there's a chance that Clem might be waiting on death's door, but that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon her."

"I'm not abandoning her." Luke said.

"You're not there for her either. That might be YOUR baby. And you're a real piece of shit if you're not gonna be there for Clementine when she needs you the most." Kenny snapped.

Luke was silent for a moment. He knew Kenny's words were true. He glanced to where Jane laid. Carlos had said she was stable… And as much as he wanted to be there for her, Clementine needed him right now. "Take me to her…"

* * *

Clementine had dilated to seven centimeters, by time the others returned from their supply run.

Her pains were growing stronger than before. The contractions had picked up pace, coming at approximately every five minutes and lasting longer than before.

When Christa and the others stepped into the church Mike, Wyatt, and Russell set Eddie down on one of the pews.

Vince went to help Christa and Bonnie bring the supplies to the infirmary.

"How's she doing?" Christa asked as she noticed Clementine laying on the bed, eyes screwed shut and teddy bear clutched to her chest.

"She's almost fully dilated." Carlos replied. "Everyone who doesn't need to be in here is going to have to leave."

"B-But I want Sarah to hold my hand…" Clementine said.

"I'll hold your hand, Clem… Sarah doesn't need to see this." Christa said.

Sarah frowned. "Everything's going to be okay, right?"

"Everything's going to be fine. Go wait with Bonnie okay. You and Becca can help keep an eye on AJ." Christa said.

"O-Okay…" Sarah and Becca left the room with hesitation. Sarita handed Bonnie AJ, and with the baby in her arm, Bonnie left the infirmary. Vince turned to leave, but Carlos stopped him.

"We might need your help… Mind staying here?" Carlos said.

"I uh… I wouldn't know what to do." Vince said honestly.

"Most of the people in here don't. I might not need you to do anything, but it's better to have some extra hands just in case." Carlos said.

"Umm… Alright." Vince said. Although he felt uncomfortable about helping a child give birth, he wanted to do what he could to help.

Christa sighed before speaking, "I need to talk to you guys… Mind stepping out of the room for a minute?"

"No! D-Don't leave!" Clementine exclaimed.

"We'll only be a minute, sweetie… I promise." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head.

"Kenny and I will stay with you." Sarita said.

"I… I want Christa…" Clementine said.

"I'll be right back, sweetie. Just sit tight." Christa motioned for Luke, Carlos, and Vince to follow her into the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked.

"Eddie's been bit." Christa said.

"W-What?" Luke stammered.

"And you brought him back, for what?" Vince asked.

"We couldn't just leave him." Christa said.

"Why not?" Vince asked.

"What do you mean "why not"?" Christa said. "If it wasn't for him. We wouldn't have found Clem."

"Well, someone has to do something… What's the plan?" Luke asked.

"How are you suggesting we deal with it?" Christa inquired.

Vince spoke before he could. "With a bullet. That's our only choice. We all know what a bite leads to."

"Vince… Do you even hear yourself right now? You're talking about killing someone." Luke said.

"I'm thinking about our group. About their safety. Sometimes you gotta do the hard thing." Vince said.

"Look, we don't even know what's gonna happen. Maybe… Maybe we can cut it off."

"I think it's too late for that. It's been hours since he got bit." Christa said.

"And he knew…?" Carlos asked.

"I guess the sickness didn't kick in until now…" Christa said.

"Well the last thing we need is a walker wandering around the church. Can't we at least lock him in the office or something?" Vince said.

"You sure it's a bite… I don't want to make any mistake and lock him up for nothing." Luke said, rubbing the back of his head anxiously, remembering how his group had once locked Clementine in a shed when they though she was bit.

"I'm sure. He has the fever and everything." Christa said.

"Fuck…" Luke sighed.

"Clementine is our main concern right now. Whatever happens with Eddie… We'll deal with it when it comes to it." Carlos said.

"Alright, but we still can't just leave him with our people if he's bit. It's too much of a risk." Vince said.

Carlos nodded. "You're right. So we'll go with your suggestion and lock him in the office."

"Like an animal?" Christa asked.

"Like someone who's infected. We're not wrong. We're being smart." Vince said.

Christa sighed. "Fine…"

"We'll keep Wyatt, Mike, and Russell on watch. I know there haven't been many walkers around this part of town, but Clementine is going to get loud. Fortunately, the church will conceal most of the sound from the outside, but it's still in our best interest to keep a couple people on watch." Carlos said.

"Got it." Vince said. "I'll go give them a heads up."

Before anyone could respond a loud scream erupted through the church.

They rushed back into the infirmary to find Clementine clutching tightly to Sarita's hand, her face twisted into a pained expression.

"What happened?" Luke asked. "Is… Is she okay?"

"Her contractions are just really strong." Kenny said.

Carlos checked on the girl once again. "No change in dilation... We might have a few more hours of waiting."

"Hours…? Holy shit…" Vince muttered.

"Go talk to the others… And check in on Jane while you're at it." Christa said to him.

"Y-Yeah… Alright…" Vince nodded before slowly backing from the room.

* * *

Clementine was in absolute agony. She had been stuck at eight centimeters for almost two hours. The girl was practically sobbing due to pain.

Christa felt her heart ache for the child. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Ideally, she should be at ten centimeters before she starts pushing, but I don't know if she's going to make it to ten…" Carlos answered.

"She's in a lot of pain, Carlos. Isn't there anything we can give her? Some kind of pain reliver?" Luke asked.

"We don't have any epidural and I don't want to risk giving her anything that could potentially harm her or the baby." Carlos replied.

Sarita tried to offer the crying girl a sip of water from a water bottle. Clementine refused, knocking the bottle away.

"Clementine, please… We want to help you." Sarita said. "Just breathe, sweetie."

Clementine was too hysterical to calm down. They were all taken aback by the child's next word. "I want my mommy and daddy!" Clementine exclaimed. As she continued to cry for her parents, the adults felt bad. She was just a child. A poor child going through something so unfortunate and sad.

"You gotta give her something! You can't just let her suffer like this!" Christa snapped.

"We have oxy…" Vince said.

"Oxy? Is that okay to give her?" Kenny asked.

"It's the best we got. We gotta give her something."

"Oxycodone, can pose serious health risk to a baby and Clementine." Carlos protested. "The child could be born with a birth defect."

"Well she needs something!" Christa said. "We can't keep letting her suffer."

Carlos frowned and spoke. "Alright… She's in serious labor, and she's completely exhausted. I'm going to give her the oxycodone. Once she reaches nine centimeters, we'll have her start pushing." He couldn't wait any longer. Considering they couldn't actually see how the infant was doing inside, he didn't want to take the risk that the baby could be in distress.

"Alright…" Christa said.

* * *

Clementine felt like she was dying. The dose of pain medication that Carlos had given her only provided her with minimum relief. Her contractions were still very painful, and they were only coming more frequent.

They adults tried to ease her agony with funny stories, songs, or simple words of encouragement. Nothing helped. She was unable to focus on anything they said, she just kept tearfully begging for them to make the pain stop.

It took about twenty minutes Clementine had finally dilated to nine centimeters.

The child was panicking when Carlos told her to get ready to push. "I can't! I'm scared!"

"Clementine, you need to listen to me." Carlos spoke in a firm tone. "You're going to be fine, but you have to listen and do as I say."

The girl didn't even look at him. She couldn't lift her gaze from her stomach. Fear surged through her as the realization that the baby was coming hit her. Her baby was coming right now, and she knew there was a chance she and the baby might die.

Clementine felt her heart pound and her head spin. She knew the odds were stacked against her and her baby. She was terrified, but she had no choice but to trust Carlos.

Carlos covered his hands in antibacterial solution before slipping on a pair of gloves. He checked the process of the girl's labor. "We're going to help you through this. Just keep breathing…"

"I… I can't…" Clementine cried.

"Yes, you can." Carlos said. "From this point on, you have to trust me… That's the only way we're going to get through this."

Clementine gave tiny nod. "I… I'm still scared."

"You're going to be okay, I promise you that." Carlos said.

He had already put aside the needed objects for the birthing—clean cloths, a knife, string, and fresh water, along with the supplies the group had retrieved from the hospital.

"You're going to start pushing…" Carlos said.

Clementine shook her head. "I d-don't want to…"

"You have to." Carlos replied.

Christa took the girl's hand as Clementine let out a cry as a powerful contraction ripped through her.

"Push!" Carlos ordered.

Clementine screamed as she did as he said. Her cries tugged on the adults' hearts. Clementine was nearly hyperventilating, Christa had to coach the child on proper breathing as she pushed.

She felt waves of dizziness after each push, but the contractions were so intense they kept her from passing out. The girl was shaking wildly and screaming her lungs out.

A few centimeters of the baby's head could be seen.

"I see the head." Carlos informed. "Push!"

Clementine did so. She just wanted the baby out of her already.

She wanted to cry when Carlos told her to stop pushing, so he could ease the baby's head out.

The pain was tremendous as the infant's head emerged.

Carlos told the young girl to push again.

And the baby finally came out. The infant let out a wail as Carlos lifted it onto a towel. Carlos cleared the infant's mouth and checked the baby's vital sign.

The baby had a mass of dark brown hair, curled around her head like a halo.

For a moment Carlos was worried about not having a humidicrib, they would have to make sure the infant stayed warm as she was much too small to store body heat.

"I… I w-want to- to see…" Clementine weakly pleaded.

Carlos allowed the girl to get her first glimpse of her baby. "It's a girl." He told her.

"S-She's so pretty… L-Like a… crystal…" Clementine managed to get out. "I-"

The child suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her face twisted in pain.

Carlos handed the baby to Christa to clean up, while he went to check on Clementine.

Christa was ready to cut the infant umbilical cord, but stopped as Clementine let out a loud scream. Christa offered the baby to Luke who was hesitant to take the child. "Here. Tie a string around the cord and cut it." Christa ordered to Luke.

"W-What?" Luke said, looking nervous and hesitant.

"I got this." Kenny took over, taking the tiny infant into his arms. The baby was so small, no bigger than a football. Kenny laid the infant on the nearby table, the baby was still wailing. Clearly the little girl wanted to show them that despite how small she was, she had a strong pair of lungs.

Kenny began tying the string around the umbilical cord about an inch and a half from the baby's body. He then tied a second string and inch from the first one.

"W-Wait! T-That's not going to hurt her, right?" Luke asked.

"She won't feel a thing." Kenny replied, cutting the cord.

Luke's eyes widened as he saw blood drip from the cord.

Kenny was almost amused by how over-wrought Luke was acting. It reminded him of how he felt when Duck was born.

Kenny suctioned the baby's nose and mouth so the infant could breathe easier. He then used the warm water and a soft cloth to clean the squirming infant up, before wrapping her in a blanket. He handed the child to Luke. "Get her by a fire... Gotta make sure she stays warm."

"Why can't… Why can't you do it?" Luke asked.

"I'm going to stay here and help with Clem. Go." Kenny said.

Luke nodded and made his way out of the room.

Clementine didn't understand what was wrong. Her contractions had diminished after the baby was born. Then abruptly she felt pain intensify. The girl let out a scream.

Assuming she was experiencing pain from the placenta, Carlos told her in a calm voice. "You're going to have to push again…"

Clementine whimpered, shaking her head.

"Clementine, you have to… It's almost over…" Christa said.

Clementine felt tears spring to her eyes as she nodded. She tried to get through the mind-bending pain.

Moments passed before the exhausted Clementine was met with yet another contraction.

Carlos was stunned when he noticed light brown hair of what appeared to be another infant. "Shit..."

"What's wrong?" Kenny asked.

"There's another baby..." Carlos said.

"W-What?" Clementine gasped.

Everyone in the room was shocked, but Carlos tried to keep composed. He ordered for Christa and Sarita to move on either side of the girl and helped ease the baby down the birth canal. Clementine was so tired she hardly had the strength to keep pushing.

"It's crowning!" Carlos said, "Push!"

Clementine couldn't hear anything over the sound of her own screams, she had no idea what was happening as she kept pushing, hoping the pain would stop.

Christa and Sarita assured her that everything would be okay, but she could barely hear them.

Clementine's body suddenly went limp, "I... I can't..."

"You got this, Clem." Kenny called. "Just a little more."

Clementine started sobbing, "I d-don't want to."

"If you don't push, this baby is going to die!" Carlos replied.

That was all it took for Clementine to start pushing. The young girl forced herself to work through the intolerable pain. She pushed harder than before, ignore the fears in the back of her mind.

She wasn't going to let her baby die.

Upon the other's urging, she continued to push. Her face was red, her hair soaked with sweat. She was completely exhausted.

"Breathe, you're okay." Christa said to the girl.

With a few more pushes, the baby's head is free. Carlos quickly noted the infant has the cord around its neck.

"Don't push..." Carlos said to Clementine. "Just keep breathing, okay?"

Clementine was confused, she just wanted this baby out of her.

Carlos attempted to slip the umbilical cord over the baby's head, but it was coiled around too tight for him to do so. "Give me the scissors, now."

Kenny quickly did so.

Carlos used the scissors to cut the cord, before pulling the baby completely free.

When the tiny baby slipped into the doctor's hands, it wasn't breathing. The baby's little face was purple, and there was no movement from the infant. Carlos firmly rubbed the infant's back, trying to prompt the baby to take its first breathe. When it didn't work the doctor immediately began infant CPR, trying to spark some life into the infant's limp form. With two fingers on the infant's chest, he kept his compressions gentle but swift.

The others waited anxiously, for what seemed like an eternity. Their hearts were pounding as Carlos continued the infant CPR for a bit over a minute. He had given the infant almost a dozen rescue breaths before the baby suddenly began coughing and then crying.

Carlos sighed in relief. He had managed to resuscitate the infant. "Another girl." He informed them. He checked the infant's vitals signs. Like her sister she was super small, but fortunately Carlos saw no physical deformities on her and she was once again breathing. He handed the baby to Christa, who began to towel the vernix and blood off the baby.

"D-Did…. Did I…do good, Lee…?" Clementine managed to muttered out. She didn't even get a look at the second baby, she was too weak to even lift her head.

Carlos glanced to Clementine as he heard the girl's weak words. Carlos noticed the child's eyes becoming glassy. Blood was pooling from Clementine, Carlos needed to stop it fast.

Christa suctioned the mucus from the infant's nose and mouth with a bulb syringe. With the baby girl now dry, she wrapped the infant in a blanket.

"You did it, sweetie. You've done it…" Sarita said to Clementine.

Clementine didn't give a response. The child stared up at the ceiling blankly. Then suddenly, her eyes rolled back.

"She's passed out." Sarita called, trying to keep calm.

Carlos focused his attention on Clementine who had who had lost consciousness and was heavily hemorrhaging. He grabbed hold of the cut umbilical cord and used it to help ease the placenta out. Clementine's body shuddered.

There was so much blood. Too much blood.

The child's face was pale. He realized she was going into shock. Clementine was hanging on for dear life.

And then the worse happened, the girl stopped breathing.

"Oh my gosh! She's not breathing!" Sarita suddenly exclaimed.

The others in the room looked over in horror.

Carlos made sure to open the child's airway so she could breath. Aware that each moment counted, he started CPR.

He did thirty compressions and gave two breaths, then repeated again as the child didn't breathe. Two minutes went by, without even the slightest twitch from the girl.

"Christa, I need your help." Carlos called. "I need you to take over while I suture her." He needed to at least stop the bleeding.

"Got it... Vince, take the baby." Christa said. "Get her by a fire."

Vince nodded, taking the tiny infant into his arms.

Christa quickly made her way over.

"Sarita, can count for you..." Carlos said.

Sarita and Christa both nodded.

"Stay with us, Clem. Don't die now…" Christa pleaded as she started the compressions while Sarita kept count for her.

Carlos carefully cleaned the girl's vaginal area then started to suture the tears she had gotten during the birth.

"Kenny, open the AED and turn it on. Do what the instructions say." Carlos ordered. "Sarita, use the scissors and cut her shirt."

"W-Why?" Sarita asked, looking worried.

"So he can place the pad on her chest." Carlos replied, he worked fast to stitch the girl.

Sarita nodded, grabbing the scissors, she cut the child's shirt, tearing the rest. The seconds ticked away. Carlos knew every passing minute lessened the little girl's chance for survival.

Kenny did as the doctor said, opening up the AED and turning it on.

Carlos finished with the stitching, Carlos took over for Kenny. He applied the defibrillator pads at the proper placement positions. "Don't touch her." Carlos said to the others.

Christa stopped the CPR and moved back.

Carlos hit the shock button on the defibrillator.

Clementine's little body shook from the shock.

Carlos check the child's pulse. None.

 _ **Rockabye Baby on the Treetop**_

"Let me take over again. We'll switch until we get her breathing." Carlos said.

Christa nodded.

Carlos once again started CPR. After two minutes had passed he stopped and back away. "Press the button."

Christa did so.

The shock was delivered and Clementine's little body once again jolted.

 ** _When the wind blows the cradle will rock_**

Carlos check the girl's pulse again. "No pulse."

Christa could see where this was heading, but she wasn't ready to give up. "Come on, Clem. Don't die on us!"

The once again traded places, Christa took over the compressions.

She stopped and they delivered another shock. The child's body jolt once more.

Sarita was by the child's head, checking for breathing and praying the little girl would pull through.

 _ **When the bough breaks the cradle will fall**_

They had spent over ten more minutes trying to resuscitate the child, with no luck.

"We can't do much more…" Carlos said. "It's time to call it…"

"No! We can't call it!" Christa refused, shoving him aside she continued to give Clementine compressions. "Not yet!"

"Christa, we've done everything possible…" Carlos said.

"We can't stop now! We just need a little more time!" Christa said.

"No amount of time is going to bring her back!" Carlos argued.

Christa ignored him.

 _ **And down will come baby...**_

"Why are you so eager to let her die?! She's a little girl!" Kenny snapped at the doctor.

"I'm not eager! The child is dead! You're in denial!" Carlos retorted.

"We can save her!" Kenny snapped.

Carlos shook his head. "She's lost too much blood… She's gone..."

Christa still continued with her compressions. "Come on, Clem. Come on…"

"Please… This isn't easy on me either, but we have to… we have to let her go…" Carlos said. He felt like a failure as a doctor. He was a doctor… Not a surgeon. Sure, he had lost patients, but never a child. The patients he lost were usually elderly. It hurt to lose a patient, but it was even harder with a child. She was a _child_ … So innocent, so pure… She didn't deserve this.

Suddenly, Sarita noticed movement from the young girl. "W-Wait! Something's happening!"

"What?" Carlos asked.

"She... She's moving." Sarita said.

A second later, the child's eyes shot opened, but they weren't the same... Her eyes were lifeless, glazed over. She was dead...

Sarita felt tears spring to her eyes as the child began snarling and growling.

The undead child sat up. And grabbed at an unsuspecting Sarita.

Sarita had no time to react before she felt the girl's teeth sink into her arm. Sarita let out a loud scream.

 _ **...Cradle and all...  
**_


	23. Chapter 23

**_Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help._**

 ** _And thanks to OmnitrixWielder1124 for the use of baby Crystal._**

 ** _Also, this story isn't over yet, but it's Unravel is close to the end. Chapter 30 will probably be the last for Unravel. Thanks for reading and reviewing.  
_**

* * *

 _When she found herself in a beautiful garden Clementine was overwhelmed with a feeling of freedom and happiness. The garden was a maze, bright flowers bloomed all over the ground. The sunlight warmly lit the area. To the east end of the garden there stood a large gazebo. In the center of the maze there was a beautiful wishing fountain._

 _She had the urge to smell the flowers and run around like the child she hadn't been able to be in so long._

 _That was exactly what she did. The young girl began running through the garden. Giggles fell from her lips as she skipped and twirled around. She wanted to stay here forever. She never wanted to leave._

" _Having fun?"_

" _Lee!" The girl beamed, running towards him. She quickly hugged the man who returned her embrace._

" _How are you doing sweet-pea?" Lee asked her._

" _I'm good. I feel happy… For the first time in a long time." Clementine said._

" _That's good." Lee said._

" _Where are we?" The child asked._

" _Some place safe…" Was the response. "I have something I'd like to show you."_

" _What is it?" Clementine asked._

 _Lee took her hand. "You'll see."_

 _Clementine followed Lee as he led her through the garden. He led her towards the wishing fountain, stopping directly in front of it._

 _The water was a clear blue. Clementine was reminded of times when her parents would let her toss a penny into the fountains in the mall. However, this fountain was so beautiful, unlike any fountain she'd ever seen before._

" _I want to make a wish." Clementine announced._

" _What do you want to wish for?" Lee asked the child._

" _I… I want to wish that I can stay here forever. That we can stay here forever. I never want to leave." Clementine said._

 _Lee smiled for a moment then knelt to the child's level. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."_

 _Clementine looked a bit confused._

" _Take a look in the water." Lee urged._

 _Clementine did so. "What am I looking at?"_

" _Well, what do you see?" Lee questioned back._

 _Clementine paused for a moment, eyes focused on an image of herself. "My reflection."_

 _Lee nodded. "Keep looking."_

 _Clementine did as he said._

 _Within a few moments another image came into view. She realized she was looking upon her own group members, still in the infirmary. Christa was pressing against her chest desperately, trying to get her to breathe._

 _Clementine eyes were wide at what she was seeing. "That's… me…"_

" _That's right, sweet-pea." Lee said._

 _Realization dawn on the child at that moment. "I'm dead?"_

 _Lee gave a small nod. "Yes, Clem."_

" _But… But why? How?" Clementine stammered._

" _You lost a lot of blood. They're trying to bring you back now." Lee explained._

" _Why?" Clementine asked._

" _Because they care about you, Clem. They love you." Lee said._

 _Clementine shook her head. "They don't love me. No one does."_

" _Of course they do." Lee said. "Why would you say that?"_

" _No one should love me. I'm dirty." Clementine said._

" _You're not. You're perfect, Clementine. Don't ever forget that." Lee said._

 _The child once again shook her head. "You're the only one who loves me…" She hugged him before slowly glancing up and asking, "You… You love me, right?"_

" _More than anything, Sweet-pea." Lee said._

 _Clementine gave a smile. "I love you too."_

 _Lee motioned for her to look down again. "They love you too. They wouldn't be trying so hard if they didn't."_

 _Clementine sighed. "They're better off without me."_

 _Lee disagreed. "Do you really think that, Clem?"_

" _Yes… I'm nothing but a burden… Things will be… better now." Clementine said._

" _You're not a burden Clem. You're always helping someone." Lee replied._

" _It doesn't feel that way… I make a lot of mistakes." Clementine muttered with a frown._

" _We all make mistakes. It's part of learning. Part of growing up." Lee said._

" _I just think everyone will be happier without me around…" Clementine said._

" _What about the twins?" Lee asked._

" _What?"_

" _Don't you want to see them?" Lee questioned._

 _Clementine didn't respond for a moment. Being in that garden, it had allowed her to forget about her worries for a moment. She had even forgotten she was now a mother. "I… I can't."_

" _Why not? Don't you want to?" Lee asked the child._

" _I want to…But I can't." Clementine said. "I won't be a good mom. I'm just a kid, I'm not ready to be a parent."_

" _I think you'll be a great mom… And you'll have help." Lee said._

" _They're better off without me too. I'll only screw things up in the long run." Clementine said sadly._

" _I don't think so, Sweet-pea. They already love you more than anything. Don't you feel the same way?" Lee said._

" _I haven't even met them yet… Not since they've been born…" Clementine said._

" _That doesn't change the fact that they love you. You're their mother, which means you're the most important figure in their lives." Lee said._

" _They're too young to understand what love is." Clementine said._

" _Love is a feeling, it doesn't have to be understood, Clementine." Lee said._

" _I guess…" Clementine said. "I just… don't know what to do. I feel like I'm always confused."_

" _Things don't always make sense, but when things are confusing to your mind, you got to go with what your heart is telling you." Lee said. "What's your heart saying, Clem?"_

 _Her heart was filled with love for her group, for her daughters. They were her family. But she missed her parents, she missed Lee. She missed them more than anything in the world._

 _Clementine glanced down to see what was going on with her unresponsive body. "They're… shocking me."_

" _They're trying to save you." Lee clarified._

" _I feel safe here." Clementine responded._

" _They're not ready to let you go, hon." Lee said. "They want to bring you back."_

" _Will they?" Clementine asked._

" _That's up to you." Lee said._

 _Clementine looked to Lee and asked, "What do you think I should do?"_

" _I can't answer that question, Clementine. This is your choice. Not everyone gets to make this decision…" Lee said._

" _Well what about my parents? I want to see them." Clementine said. "I miss them."_

" _You will when you're ready." Lee said._

" _I am ready. I've been ready." Clementine said._

" _Are you really?" Lee asked._

" _Huh?"_

" _Are you really ready to leave all of them behind? To leave your twins behind?" Lee asked the girl._

 _Clementine didn't know how to answer._

" _There's no wrong decision in this, Clem. Whatever you choose is completely up to you." Lee said._

" _It's just a hard choice." She looked back down at her body. A body that was no longer her own. Her eyes widened and she jumped away from the fountain as she saw what was happening. She had turned. She was a walker and she was biting someone she cared about. "I… I can't go back now! I'm a monster! I killed Sarita!"_

" _She's not dead, Clem…" Lee said, placing a gentle hand on the child's shoulder._

" _She is! And it's all my fault!" Clementine cried._

" _It's not your fault. That's not you down there… It's not." Lee said. "She's not going to die."_

" _How do you know? That what a bite does. It kills you." Clementine said. "That's why you can't be with me anymore…"_

" _Just trust me…" Lee said._

 _Clementine sniffled a bit. "I don't know if I can go back. Everyone will hate me."_

" _No one hates you, Clementine. I promise." Lee said. "They wouldn't be so upset if they hated you… They're all hurting. They want you back."_

 _There was silence for a moment, Clementine couldn't bring herself to look back into the fountain._

 _Clementine cocked her head slightly to the side and looked to Lee. "What happens… if I stay?"_

" _If you stay, you'll be safe. No more suffering, no more pain. You'll be able to watch over your daughters… But you won't be able to protect them." Lee said. "You won't be able to hold them."_

 _Clementine thought it over. Every pain, every sadness, every sorrow gone, that was something she wanted… Still she felt hesitant. "And if I go...?"_

" _If you go back, you'll experience challenging moments, your safety won't be guaranteed, but you'll have the chance to raise your girls, to help them grow." Lee said._

 _Clementine was feeling mixed emotions. She wanted to stay with Lee, to see her parents, to see everyone that had died. But she wanted to see her friends and family that were still living. Her newborn twins… They still needed her._

 _The thought of her girls gave her a tug in the heart that made her form a decision._

" _I'm sorry… I want to stay with you…" Clementine felt tears in her eyes. "I wanted to see everyone again. I wanted to see my parents, to tell them how much I love them, how much I miss them…"_

 _Lee pulled the girl into a comforting embrace._

" _But I can't… I think I need to go back… I'm so sorry…" Clementine knew her life, was never going to be the same again, but she had made up her mind. She needed to go back. She had to._

" _Don't be sorry. You got to do what you think is best, hon." Lee said._

 _Clementine nodded. "And this is it…."_

 _Lee nodded as well and turned the child toward the fountain. "Make your wish Sweet-pea. Wish that you were back home."_

 _Clementine did just that._

" _We're proud of you, Clementine. We all are."_

* * *

"SARITA!" Kenny exclaimed, he rushed over and pulled the walker child away from Sarita.

"I... I'm bit... O-Oh, God." Sarita stammered. "She... She bit me... I'm dead... I'm dead..."

"You're not dead! And neither is she! I won't let her die!" Kenny said.

Refusing to give up, Kenny hit the shock button on the deliberator, the child's body jolted before falling back to the bed.

"What are you waiting for? Give her CPR." Kenny demanded.

"Kenny, she's gone!" Carlos snapped.

"How do you know?!" Kenny growled. He refused to just let Clementine die.

"She just turned!" Carlos exclaimed. "She's dead... We... We have to-"

"Have to what?" Kenny asked, daring him to finished.

"Put her down." Carlos said.

Kenny wanted nothing more than to punch the doctor. "No way! That's not happening!"

"Kenny, we have no other choice." Carlos said. He looked to Christa who was sobbing. He was hoping she could talk some sense into Kenny.

"NO! This isn't going to happen…" Kenny said. "I can't lose her… Not Clem…"

Suddenly the AED spoke: Analyzing heart rhythm. No shock required.

Carlos looked to Clementine with wide eyes. He checked the child for a pulse, finding one. "How the hell...?"

"W-What?" Christa asked through her cries.

"I found a pulse." Carlos announced.

The girl still wasn't breathing, but her heart was once again beating.

Carlos wasted no time in given the child chest compressions. About ten in, Clementine's head jerked up suddenly and the girl took a gasp.

Carlos stopped the compressions. "C-Clementine?" He called in a surprised voice.

The child's eyes focused on him. They had regained their color.

She was back…

Moments later the girl's eyes fluttered shut again. Carlos quickly check her breathing and pulse once more, finding everything was normal.

The child was unconscious, but she was alive. How, he didn't know. But the fact that the child wasn't dead was what mattered.

Still, now they had another problem to worry about…

* * *

Luke waited anxiously to hear how Clementine was doing as he held the little baby in his arms. Many of the group members had gathered to see the new additions to the group.

"I'm worried I might break her." Luke muttered as he cradled the infant.

"You won't, you're doing a good job." Bonnie said.

"Why do you have to have her by a fire in the summertime?" Becca asked.

"Carlos said she needs to stay warm." Luke said.

"It's already warm…" Becca said.

"But she can't store body heat. We'll just keep her by the fire until Carlos says to move her." Luke said.

Becca groaned at that. "I'm burning up."

"Then go sit somewhere else." Bonnie said.

"No way. I want to see the baby." Becca said. "So… wait… She didn't have a boy."

"No, Becca. She had a girl." Luke chuckled slightly.

"Damn… I… I must of did the needle test wrong." Becca sighed. "Oh well."

"What are you going to name her?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know…" Luke said.

"She's adorable…" Bonnie said, she glanced to AJ who was fast asleep on a pew. "Alvie's gonna be surprised to see her."

"It'll be nice for him to have a friend." Sarah said. "They'll probably play a lot when they're older."

"It's kind of weird, he seems so big compared to her." Russell said.

"Right… She's so little." Bonnie commented. "I don't think I've ever seen a baby so tiny."

"Yeah… She really is like a crystal… Fragile, small, and beautiful." Luke said.

"Crystal? That'd make for a pretty name." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, but I think Clem should name her. She wanted to name her Lee, if she was a boy, but… looks like she's going to have to think of something else."

"Well, I'm pretty sure she liked the name Aleena." Becca said as she looked at the baby.

"Aleena's nice…" Vince said as he entered the room, with another little bundle in his arms. "But that little girl looks more like a Crystal..."

"Vince, how's Clem-" Luke's jaw dropped as he noticed the baby Vince was holding. "Holy fuck…" Luke thought he was going to faint. He looked to the infant in his own arms and back to the bundle in Vince's arms, wondering if his eyes were playing a trick on him.

"She… She had twins?" Bonnie stammered, as shocked as Luke was.

"Yeah." Vince said. "And I think they need names. Why not use the ones Clementine already picked out?"

"So… Crystal and Aleena?" Luke asked.

"Right." Vince said.

"Alright… I guess this is Crystal, and that's Aleena…" Luke said.

"I think Clem will like that." Sarah said.

"You don't think that's gonna be confusing?" Russell asked.

"Is it?" Luke asked.

"Well, Christa and Crystal. Don't you think it's a bit similar?" Russell said.

"They're two different names." Luke said with a shrug.

"Besides, an eleven-year-old kid just had two babies. I don't think Christa will mind about the name." Vince said.

"Touché." Russell said.

"We can always give her a nickname." Becca added.

"Like what?" Russell asked.

"I don't know. Maybe C.C." Becca said.

"Really?" Russell raised a brow at her.

"Hey, I think it's cute. Crystal could be C.C., and Aleena could be Lee-Lee." Becca shrugged. "Anyway, it wasn't confusing when Rebecca was around… We both had similar names."

"True." Russell said.

"So Crystal and Aleena it is." Luke said. "How's Clementine doing anyway?"

"Not too good…" Vince said honestly.

Everyone's expressions changed into looks of worry.

"What happened? What's wrong with her?" Luke asked.

"She stopped breathing. They're doing CPR on her now…" Vince said. "Things… Don't look good."

"Fuck… I… This can't be happening." Luke muttered.

"Luke, you gotta calm down… You're gonna upset the baby." Bonnie said.

"How can I calm down when he's telling me Clem's not breathing?" Luke replied.

"My dad can fix her." Sarah said.

The others sent her a look.

"Sarah…" Bonnie said in a gentle tone.

"He can. He will, you'll see." Sarah said.

"It's not like we didn't know this was gonna happen! We all knew she was gonna die!" Becca exclaimed.

Both of the infants started crying from her loudness.

"Becca, please… Calm down." Bonnie said.

Becca sent her a glare. "Screw you. Just because you don't care about her-"

"I do care about her." Bonnie stated.

"Yeah right." Becca scoffed. "Then how come you're not upset?"

"I am, but screaming and yelling isn't going to help anything…" Bonnie said.

"This is normal. People get upset when people they care about are dying, Bonnie. But I doubt you'd know anything about that." Becca said.

"Becca, that's enough." Vince said. "This isn't gonna help anything. Carlos is doing his best. We just gotta see if she'll pull through."

"Clementine's not going to die. My dad will fix her." Sarah said.

"Sarah's right. Let's just try to keep so hope for Clem." Bonnie said. "She's tough. She's been through a lot, she'll be alright."

"I hope so…" Luke said.

* * *

Eddie groaned, feeling a wave of dizziness as he sat up. When he realized he was laid upon a couch, he was confused. He had no recollection on how he got there.

"Take it easy." Wyatt said, offering Eddie a water bottle.

Eddie hesitated, but accepted the drink. He gulped it down, his throat was dry and sore.

"Where am I?" Eddie asked after he finished with the water.

"We're back at the church… You passed out, dude." Wyatt said. "How feeling alright?"

"What kind of question is that?" Eddie scoffed. "I feel like shit…"

"Sorry…" Wyatt said.

"Are you?" Eddie asked. "Were you sorry when you ditched me?"

"Eddie, you know I didn't want to do that…" Wyatt said.

"I don't know shit… Bet you didn't even look back after you left." Eddie grumbled.

"I looked for you, man. But after a while, you start assuming people didn't make it." Wyatt said.

"Well, you assumed wrong." Eddie said.

Wyatt sighed. "I'm sorry. If I could've found you I would've. I didn't have a choice but to leave. I regret it, man. I'm sure you have things you regret too."

"Oh, we all have regrets. But at least I can say leaving my best friend behind isn't on that list." Eddie said.

Wyatt didn't respond for a moment. "Did you know about the bite?"

"What?"

"You got bit? Why didn't you say anything?" Wyatt asked.

"If I had known I would've. What would I get out of hiding a bite?" Eddie said.

"I don't know, dude. But people do stupid shit." Wyatt shrugged.

"People like you, for sure." Eddie scoffed.

"Come on, dude. How many times can I apologize for something that happened two years ago?" Wyatt huffed.

"Do you have any idea what type of shit I've been through?!" Eddie said.

"I've been through shit too. The world has gone to shit! Just because I had no choice but to drive away doesn't mean everything you've been through is my fault!" Wyatt retorted.

"Not completely, but if you didn't drive off that day, things would've been different!" Eddie snapped.

"You knew that asshole was after us. We should've just kept driving." Wyatt said.

"I was trying to help that cop, I couldn't just leave him. I'm not a heartless bastard like you." Eddie said.

"You're the one who hit him!" Wyatt reminded.

"You know damn well it was an accident." Eddie replied.

"Was shooting that guy an accident?" Wyatt asked. "Cause it didn't look like it to me."

Eddie fell silent at that.

"You really wanna act like you can do no wrong? Screw you, dude." Wyatt said.

"Just leave me alone, alright? I don't want to deal with your bullshit." Eddie said.

"Fine… Whatever." Wyatt huffed before walking from the room.

* * *

"Is she okay? Is she going to be okay?" Christa asked, approaching Clementine.

"She's breathing... She's unconscious. We'll just have to wait until she wakes up..." Carlos said.

"What do we do now? Sarita's bit…" Christa said.

"We gotta cut it off!" Kenny said. "That's the only way to save her!"

"W-What?" Sarita stammered, eyes wide in horror.

"Are you crazy?" Christa asked.

"It worked for that Reggie guy back at Carver's camp. It'll work for you too." Kenny said to Sarita.

"Kenny, please... We don't...know if it will work..."

"We won't know until we try." Kenny said. "We gotta do this!"

"It's up to you Sarita, what do you want to do?" Carlos asked the woman.

"I..." Sarita didn't know how to answer. She was left was a horrible decision or a horrible option.

"Sarita, please... You can't leave me too…" Kenny said, his voice cracking a bit. He looked as if he wanted to cry.

"You... You want me to... to cut my arm off?" Sarita stammered. "I… I don't know if I can."

"It could save your life." Carlos said.

Sarita felt tears fall from her eyes, she knew this was the only option she had if she wanted a chance at leaving. Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay... d-do it."

"Alright… We got to do this fast, before the infection can spread." Carlos said.

"What do we do with Clementine?" Christa asked.

Carlos glanced to the unconscious child. "Find some rope."

"What?" Christa furrowed her brows.

"We're going to tie her up." Carlos said.

"Why?" Christa asked.

"Because I don't want to take any chances. I don't want anyone else getting bit." Carlos replied.

Christa sighed, but nodded.

"She's not gonna bite anyone else. You said she was breathing." Kenny said.

"She's breathing, but she's not out of the woods yet. She's still in critical condition. And things could take a turn quickly." Carlos said.

Christa frowned at that, but she knew it was true. Kenny however shook his head.

"We won't let that happen." Kenny said.

"We'll do our best not to let it happen." Carlos said. "And if we're going to save Sarita's life, we need to move quickly. Christa, find some rope. And some kind of saw."

"We can't use Luke's machete?" Kenny asked.

"No way, it's filthy. We're trying to prevent infection, not cause one." Christa said.

"We have to be fast." Carlos reminded. "Go."

Christa left the room without question.

Carlos knew an amputation of the fore-arm was a dangerous operation, he had to be careful.

He took a bandage and began to tie it around Sarita's forearm as they waited for Christa to return.

* * *

Christa rushed from the room. When the others spotted her they immediately began asking questions.

"What's happening?" Vince asked. "We heard screaming? Is everything okay?"

"No… Everything's not okay." Christa said. "I need something sharp. Something sharp and clean."

Luke raised a brow, "What's going on?"

"I don't have time for this." Christa said.

"Just tell us if Clem's alright." Luke pleaded.

"She's breathing…" Christa repeated what Carlos had told her.

They sighed in relief.

"The weapons are in the storage closet." Russell said. "What do y'all need it for."

"We just do... I can't answer questions right now." Christa headed towards the closet before anyone could say another word.

Once there, she gathered what she needed as quickly as possible. After doing so she rushed back towards the infirmary.

"Alright... Who's going to do this...?" Carlos asked.

A moment of silence passed before Christa sighed.

"I'll do it..." Christa said.

"Are you sure?" Carlos asked.

Christa gave a small nod.

Sarita was trying to keep calm, but she was terrified.

"Okay…" Carlos said. "Kenny, take those ropes and use them to tie Clementine down."

Kenny was hesitant, "But-"

"Just listen to him." Christa said, handing him the rope. She didn't like the thought of tying a child to a bed, but she knew it was a precautionary measure.

Kenny slowly approached the young girl. Clementine remained limp, and Kenny felt his heart pounding as he looked at the young girl. He used the ropes to restrain the child to the bed she was resting on. The girl's skin was hot to the touch, a clear sign of a fever. The slow rise and fall of the child's chest helped ease his worries slightly.

"Are you ready?" Carlos asked Sarita.

The woman's eyes were full of tears as she gave a nervous nod.

Carlos helped the woman to a chair and had her sit down, propping her arm onto a nearby table.

"…Try to keep still." Carlos used the saw to make an incision one third of the way down her forearm.

Sarita yelped in pain.

"You're gonna be alright, babe." Kenny called to reassure her. He made his way over and took her hand.

It didn't help much.

After making the incisions on both sides of the arm, Carlos handed the saw back to Christa."Try to preserve as much integuments as you can."

Christa gave a nod. "Take a deep breath," She said to Sarita.

Sarita did so, resting her arm against the table.

Christa wasted no time to start sawing through.

Loud, agony filled screams echoed through the room. Christa wanted to stop, but she forced herself not to.

Sarita could feel her vision blur before her eyes. Kenny made sure to keep her still as Christa continued cutting. Finally, the limp came detached from the final cut.

As Sarita watched the blood flood from her arm like a fire hydrant, she passed out from shock.

"What's happening?" Kenny demanded.

"She's lost consciousness." Carlos replied.

"She's… She's gonna be okay, right? We cut it off in time, right?" Kenny asked.

"We won't know for sure…. We'll have to wait…" Carlos said. He applied a ligature to the wound, to slow the blood flow. After the blood flow was slow enough, he began to suture the wound, making sure the skin covered the bone.

Kenny and Carlos then placed the woman on a nearby bed and Carlos began to clean the woman's stumped arm.

"Is… Is she gonna make it?" Kenny asked.

"We can only hope so…" Carlos said.

* * *

"They're so quiet…" Sarah said. "I thought babies were supposed to cry a lot…"

"I thought so too." Luke said.

"If I'm being honest, I'm worried Aleena might pee on me." Vince said a bit awkwardly.

"Doesn't she have diaper?" Becca asked.

"Not on…" Vince said.

"What about Crystal?" Sarah asked.

"Uh… no…" Luke said.

"Why don't we put diapers on them then?" Sarah suggested.

"I… don't really know how…." Luke admitted.

"You don't know how to change your own baby?" Becca asked.

"I've never done it before." Luke said.

"Geez, you're gonna be a lousy parent." Becca huffed.

"Becca, that's harsh." Bonnie said.

"But I know more than he does." Becca said. "I mean, he should know how to change them at least."

"So you know how to change her?" Luke asked.

"It's pretty simple. You just put a diaper on her." Becca said. "I've seen it enough with AJ to know what to do."

"Alright then. Be my guest." Luke offered Crystal to the teen.

Becca hesitated to pick the infant up. "You sure? She's really… small… I don't want to hurt her."

"You won't. I thought you knew what you were doing." Luke said.

"I do… I just… never held a baby that small before…" Becca said. "I've never really seen a baby so small."

"I know…" Luke said. "But you'll be fine. You won't hurt her."

Becca was still reluctant, but slowly took the infant in her arms. "So… Crystal, right?"

"Right." Luke confirmed.

"Hope she doesn't break like one." Becca muttered.

"Oh my God, Becca. Please…" Luke sighed.

"I'm just joking." Becca said.

"You make some awful jokes." Russell said.

"I wouldn't hurt her. I'm practically her Godmother." Becca said.

"Practically?" Vince said.

"Well, I'm going to ask Clem." Becca explained. "Once she's better…."

"Becca…." Bonnie sighed.

"You guys said we have to be hopeful. So I'm trying to be…" Becca gently placed Crystal down on the pew and unbundled her blanket. "She's so small I don't even know if she'll fit in a diaper."

"Well… We could make cloth diapers." Sarah said.

"I don't know how to do that. Would it like… soak through?"

"Not if we did it right… Maybe we should just wait for dad."

"Well, if you're not gonna put a diaper on her just put her back in the blanket. I don't want her getting cold." Luke said.

"It's not even cold." Becca said again.

"Maybe not for you, but infants don't have enough body mass to store heat until they're about three pounds and twelve ounces." Carlos spoke as he stepped into the room. His hands were clean and in a fresh pair of gloves. He was holding a syringe of some kind in his hand.

"Is everything okay? What's going on?" Bonnie said. "Is Clem doing alright.

"Clementine's alive, but she's currently in critical condition." Carlos sighed. "…Sarita… She's been bit…"

The group members looked shocked.

"How?" Russell asked.

"What exactly happened in there?" Bonnie asked.

"Clementine was hemorrhaging. We did CPR for a little over ten minutes, but she wasn't responding to it. She was dead. No pulse, not breathing. She even turned." Carlos explained.

Everyone was surprised to hear that.

"Wha-What?" Vince said.

"Nothing was working. That child was gone. After she had turned Kenny hit the button on the defibrillator and shocked her, and… she was back. As if it didn't happen." Carlos said.

"How is that even possible?" Bonnie asked.

"I have no idea. But what I do know is she could be dangerous. Therefore, we need to keep her under quarantine until we know for sure that she's in stable condition. We don't need anyone else getting bit." Carlos said.

Carlos looked over the twins, he knew the infants were small, but finally had the chance to properly check the twins over and make sure they were both doing okay.

The doctor looked over Crystal first. As soon as he picked her up she began crying.

Carlos decided that was a good thing. It meant her little lungs were working well. He performed the APGAR test on the infant before diapering her. As Becca had said, she was small for even a newborn sized diaper. After bundling her in a blanket he said, "I'd say she's about two and a half pounds."

"Two pounds?" Luke repeated.

"Yes…" Carlos placed the infant down on the pew. She continued wailing, but Carlos allowed her to cry. "Let me hold the other child."

Vince handed baby Aleena over.

Eventually Crystal cries died down.

Carlos checked Aleena, once again performing the APGAR test. She was quiet as he held her. He was worried about her having respiratory issues. He'd need to keep a close eye on both girls.

"She's a little bit over two pounds." Carlos said. "I wouldn't say a full half…"

"That's really tiny…" Bonnie said. "Can babies this small… survive?"

"It's possible. Obviously, they'd have a much better chance in NICU, but we have to do what we can." Carlos said. "And be prepared for the worst."

Luke frowned at that. "What do we need to do to prevent the worst?"

"I cannot guarantee their survival. Preterm babies tend have a lot of issues because they're so small. Since their organ systems are immature and need support. Twenty-nine weeks of gestation isn't enough, I'd say their odds are fifty-fifty. The first forty-eight hours are the most critical." Carlos said.

The doctor began to diaper the infant he was holding before wrapping her in her blanket.

"We can try to replicate how things would be if the babies were still in the womb. The best way to do that is to keep them warm, and have them on a ventilator to make sure their getting enough oxygen, which the placenta would normally do." Carlos said.

Carlos placed Aleena beside her sister.

"We also need to handle them as little as possible because their skin is really thin so even light touch can hurt them. Make sure to wash your hands before touching them and anyone who's feeling sick, can't be around them…" Carlos continued. "I'll keep an eye on their physical health. Fortunately, despite them being born so early, they have a better chance of survival since they were born in the warmer time of year. Considering Clem was about twenty-nine weeks along, I take it we're in early July as of now."

"July what?" Luke asked.

"Does that matter?" Becca asked.

"Of course it does." Luke said. "Their birthday's important."

"Actually, Luke's right. The reason I wrote down each detail of Clementine's pregnancy was to help keep track of their growth and development. Knowing the day they were born will help us keep track of their developed as they grow older."

"So you said we're in early July?" Luke asked.

"Around the first week." Carlos confirmed.

"Let's go with July second." Luke said.

"Why the second?" Vince asked.

Luke shrugged. "I don't know… It just feels right."

"Are you just saying that because there's two of them?" Bonnie asked.

"Maybe…" Luke said. "No… Something's telling me their birthday is July second."

"Fits with the twenty-nine week mark." Carlos said. "Alright then. Their birthday is July second. So what did you name them?"

"Clementine actually named them. Crystal and Aleena." Luke replied.

Carlos gave a nod. "She'll like that."

"About Clem… You said she's in critical condition?" Bonnie asked.

"She's… breathing… But she's definitely not in the best condition, but she might pull through…" Carlos said. "She lost a lot of blood. She's resting right now. Or at the very least, unconscious…"

"Fuck…" Luke said.

Suddenly one of the infants let out a whimper.

"I think…. I think they're hungry. What do I do?" Luke asked.

"We still have a lot of baby formula." Bonnie said.

"I didn't want to give them formula due to the allergy risk, but with Clementine in such parlous condition… We have no other choice." Carlos said with a sigh.

"Allergy risk? They can be allergic to formula." Becca asked.

"Some infants are. It's rare that the allergic reaction is life-threatening, but you can never be too careful." Carlos said. "It'd be better if we had formula specifically for premature babies, but we'll have to make use of what we got."

The others nodded.

"Alright…" Carlos said. "Bonnie, make a bottle and bring it here."

Bonnie gave a nod and went to do so.

"How's Sarita?" Luke asked.

"We won't know until later." Carlos said. "For now, we need to get the infants fed and make sure they're kept warm."

"Too bad they're so small. They won't be able to fit any clothes Luke got them." Sarah said.

"We're not going to dress them now anyway." Carlos said.

"Why not?" Sarah asked.

"We have to be cautious of the fact that they may experience respiratory issues. I'd like to avoid that, and the best way is for me to monitor their breathing. Diapers and hats are the most I'll allow them to be dressed in right now." Carlos said.

"So they can wear a hat?" Luke asked.

"They should wear hats. Infants lose a lot of heat through their heads and it's going to take a while for them to regulate their body temperature." Carlos said.

"Fair enough…" Luke said.

Before long, Bonnie returned with a bottle. "So how do we feed them?"

"They're probably too young to take a bottle…" Carlos said.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Most babies at this age don't have coordinated suck and swallow reflexes at birth." Carlos explained. "We're going to feed them from feeding syringes. Each time one of them is fed the syringes needs to be cleaned before and after. When they graduate to a bottle the same needs to be done."

Carlos filled the syringes with the milk from the bottle. Carlos showed them how to feed the infants.

Bonnie helped Sarah and Becca look through the baby clothes finding two hats small enough for the infants. Even the hats made specifically for preemies were a tad big on the twins.

After that Carlos told the two girls to head to bed. They were reluctant, despite it being the middle of the night everyone was too awake from everything that had occurred.

Luke and Vince placed an overstuffed chair into the room, padded it with blankets and used a few other chairs to surround it as railings, creating a makeshift crib. They placed the infants into it, so they could be close to the fire.

"What should we do now?" Luke asked as he took a seat.

"Well… All we can do now is wait." Carlos said. "How's Eddie doing?"

"I don't know…" Luke said. "Mike and Wyatt are with him."

"We're going to have to make a decision on what to do…" Carlos said.

"I think Eddie should make that decision for himself… He'll know what he wants to do…" Luke said.

Carlos gave a nod in response.

* * *

By the next morning everyone was exhausted. Kenny had left the infirmary briefly to check on AJ and the twins.

When Bonnie asked how he was doing, Kenny didn't respond. But when the woman kept asking questions he snapped at her to leave him alone.

While Kenny was tending to AJ, Carlos headed to the infirmary to check on Clementine and Sarita.

Sarita was pale, and had yet to regain consciousness, but she hadn't shown any signs of fever or infection. Carlos cleaned her stumped arm, and checked the stitching. Once he finished tending to her he then turned his attention to Clementine.

The child was still unresponsive. Covered with a light blanket, they had left the defibrillator pads on her in case they needed them again.

Only hours before the girl had gone into V-Fib. When the machine had said shock advise, Christa was worried, but Kenny wasted no time in shocking the young girl.

The girl spent the night going in and out of arrhythmias. Each time the machine advised them to deliver a shock, they did.

Carlos was worried about the child experiencing heart issues. He felt the girl's head, she still had a fever. A high one at that, and it wasn't going down.

"How are the twins?" Christa asked.

"So far they've been fine." Carlos said, he readjusted the blanket over Clementine's body. "But you and I both know that could change in a matter of minutes. We got our hands full."

Christa gave a sigh and nodded. It was killing her to watch Clementine teeter between life and death. She just wanted to know that the child would be alright.

Carlos sighed. "She's had a fever all night."

"Is there anything else you can give her to lower it?" Christa asked.

"I'm not sure if it's going to work. I thought the dose I gave her before would have helped." Carlos said.

"Maybe she needs something stronger." Christa said.

"I don't want to give her too much. She's small, and she's already been out for a while… I wouldn't want to make things worse." Carlos said. "Honestly, I want to send her and the twins home today."

"Are you sure we should move them?" Christa asked.

"It'd be better for Crystal and Aleena if they were in a more secluded area." Carlos said. "They're doing okay, right now but we're going to need more medical equipment. I'd like to keep them both on oxygen machines."

"Crystal and Aleena?" Christa repeated.

"That's what they named them." Carlos explained.

"That's what Clem named them." Christa corrected. "I think she'll like it."

"I'm sure she will." Carlos said.

"So when do you want to move them?" Christa asked.

"As soon as possible." Carlos replied. "I'm a bit reluctant about taking them outside, but considering it's warm, I think they'll be okay."

"Okay…" Christa said.

* * *

For Carlos the day was already proving to be overwhelming. The doctor had dealt with multiple patients before, but this was definitely out of his comfort zone. He now had his hands full with two premature infants, and their eleven year old mother who he was sure had been dead only hours ago. And to top that off, he had a bite victim and a woman who just had her arm amputated.

To say he was stressed out would be an understatement. It wasn't much help that besides him, Christa, and Kenny, no one else knew what to do when it came to caring for the twins.

Even now, Luke had been struggling to properly feed Aleena, Carlos told him he'd take over once he finished with Crystal. When he attempted to burp the infant, she spit up. The doctor noted the Crystal had spit up during almost all of her feedings that day, she was showing signs of major reflux. After cleaning Crystal up, he laid the baby back in the makeshift crib.

He then took Aleena and proceeded to feed her. Once he finished feeding the baby, Carlos showed Luke and the others how to burp her.

"Once they get bigger you can put them up on your shoulder to burp them, but since they're so small, you're just gonna lean them forward like this." Carlos explained.

"And we have to do this every time they eat?" Luke asked.

"They should be eating every two hours or so, until they're about four months." Kenny answered for him as he walked over. He had just finished putting AJ down for a nap.

"Kenny's right. But since they're premature it will probably be longer than four months. Usually, the whole feeding process should take thirty minutes or less." Carlos said.

"So, do you do that until they burp?" Luke asked.

"Well, they might have a harder time burping because they're so small." Carlos said. "So, the best thing would be to try burping them and if they don't burp everytime it's fine. It'll come out one way or another."

"They're just so small. I'm scared I'd hurt them." Luke said.

"This isn't hurting her. She's fine." Carlos said. He soon stopped patting the baby's back and put Aleena back into the makeshift crib. "I want to send them home today."

"Home?" Kenny asked.

"I want to limit their contact with people. Having them in their own space is the best way to do that." Carlos said.

"Alright then…" Bonnie said. "Is there anything we can do to help? I know there's an old bassinet in one of the houses? We could clean that up and use that as their crib."

"That should work." Carlos said. "Unfortunately, we don't have an incubator, but we definitely need to keep them warm. Ideally, I'd like to have a humidifier as well, but it might be hard to find one."

"When my son was a baby, my wife was worried he'd fall out of his crib so we used a crib tent… Maybe we can make one and attach it to the bassinet." Kenny said.

"How do we make one of those?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, AJ's been sleeping in a playpen. I could cut the mesh net off one side and we could use that. It'd be better than nothing." Kenny said.

"Okay, sounds doable." Vince said. "And we should just be able to keep a fire going to keep them warm."

"I'll uh… take care of that playpen. I need to clear my head anyway." Kenny said.

The others nodded in response.

Kenny walked off without another word.

"I'm worried about him…" Bonnie said. "If… If Sarita doesn't pull through, who knows what's gonna happen…"

"This is hard on him… He just needs time." Vince said. "At least he's helping us."

"For now…" Luke said. "What if Sarita doesn't make it? Kenny's already got a few loose screws, I don't think he could handle another lost."

"I know what you mean…" Bonnie said. "I don't wanna imagine how things will be if Sarita doesn't wake up…"

"She doesn't have a fever. And she's not showing any signs of infection… We just have to wait for her to wake up." Carlos said. "And in the meantime, we all should be heading home."

"What about Eddie?" Luke asked.

"There's nothing I can do for him at this point." Carlos said.

"Well, we all know what a bite does. Are we really gonna let him turn?" Russell asked.

"He's Wyatt's friend. We should let him deal with that." Bonnie said.

"Alright then…" Russell said.

"Come on. You, me, and Vince go find that cradle." Bonnie said.

Bonnie and Vince headed out to find the bassinet.

* * *

When Jane regained consciousness, she felt something was wrong. For a moment she wondered if she was actually dead, but the pain she felt as she moved about marked her as living. With each deep breath, she felt the sting of the bullet wound.

When Luke noticed she was awake he made his way over. Before he could get a word out she asked, "Is the baby alright?"

Luke felt his heart drop when he heard that. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" Jane asked, forcing her aching body into sitting position.

"You... had a miscarriage." Luke said.

Jane didn't respond. The memories flooded back to her. She brought her hand to her bandaged wound, feeling her heart clench.

"The trauma from the gunshot and the fall... Carlos said it was too much..." Luke mumbled.

"Oh..." She said it so nonchalantly, Luke wasn't sure how to respond.

Luke felt a tinge of sadness flood through him. "How are you feeling?"

Jane was quiet for a moment then muttered "I'm fine." She felt a throbbing pain every few moments, but her mind felt almost numb.

"Are… Are you sure?" Luke said.

"…I kept thinking it would be a girl... I was trying to picture how she would look... Now... I'll never know." Jane sighed. "But I guess shit happens. I don't think I was ready to be a mom."

"Shit happens?"

"Yeah. To be honest, part of me... Is sort of relieved…" Jane said.

Luke felt a sudden anger course through him. "You... You act like you don't care... That was our baby. The kid was mine too. This isn't something you just brush off and go "oh well" about!"

Jane didn't know what to say. She knew he was right and she wouldn't deny it.

"Are you upset?" Luke asked.

Jane glared at him. "I'm upset. But I'm not going to cry about a child I never met."

Luke sighed then quickly regained his composer. "I'm sorry."

Jane just shook her head. "How's Clem?"

"It's been touch and go all night, but she's okay right now." Luke answered.

"She had the baby?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, two actually…" Luke said.

Jane's eyes grew wide. "Holy shit… I didn't think she'd be able to."

"They're really small but I think they're doing okay." Luke said. "Clem's in tough shape, but we think she's gonna pull through."

"That's… good." Jane muttered. She felt it was unfair. Clementine actually ended up birthing not one, but two babies and she ended up losing her own.

"Yeah…" Luke said. "Do… you wanna see them?"

"What?"

"The twins? Do you want to see them?" Luke motioned towards the make-shift crib that Sarah and Becca was beside.

Jane quickly shook her head. "No… I can't."

"Alright, sorry for asking." Luke scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"It's fine… I just… Prefer not to be around babies right now.…" Jane said.

"I understand… It's hard." Luke said.

"I'm usually kind of numb to this stuff. It's the way life is now." Jane said. "But this… It hurts…"

"You don't have to be tough. I'm hurt too. We lost a baby." Luke said.

"We've lost a lot of people. This is why I try not to get attached to people." Jane said.

"It's different with your own kid." Luke replied.

"I guess." Jane replied, "I kind of felt like I wasn't meant to have this baby... I'm just surprised Clementine, an eleven year old girl actually managed to give birth- to twins at that."

"I think everyone was surprised by that." Luke said.

"What are their names?" Jane asked.

"Crystal and Aleena." Luke told her.

"Two girls, huh?"

"Yeah..." Luke said. "They're really small. Makes me nervous..."

"The worst thing you can do is get your hopes up that they'll survive. The odds are stacked against them. And it's best to be prepared for the hardest thing." Jane said.

Luke frowned. "You think they're gonna die?"

"You don't?" Jane asked.

"I'd rather not think that…" Luke said.

"I'm just looking at the worst case. You gotta do that sometimes…" Jane said.

Luke knew she was right. They needed to be prepared for the worse.

"So… Where's everyone else?" Jane asked.

"Carlos wants to move Clem and the twins back home… They're getting the house ready." Luke explained.

"Seems like a lot happened…" Jane said.

Luke nodded. "A lot did happen…. Sarita's been bit…"

"Fuck…" Jane looked shocked. "How's Kenny handling it?"

"He's been… keeping to himself today…" Luke replied.

"Well is he gonna take care of her?" Jane suddenly asked.

"What?"

"I know it's not pretty, but it's better than the alternative." Jane said.

"We can't just kill her if she's not dead. We're just waiting to see what happens." Luke said.

"Well, I wouldn't wait too long. We don't want to wait until it's too late…" Jane replied.

Luke sighed, but nodded.

* * *

He'd been in that office all morning. He felt trapped, yet it wasn't like he could go anywhere.

He had never felt so ill in his life. His skin felt hot, yet cold sweat drenched his clothing. He felt thirsty, dehydrated almost and no amount of water was quenching his thirst. Any small movement was enough to make his head spin. To say the least, he felt like shit.

"You alright, man?" Mike asked as he cautiously entered the room.

"Hell no…" Eddie huffed.

"Do you need anything?" Mike questioned.

"More w-water would be good." Eddie's voice was raspy as he spoke.

"Sure thing." Mike said.

Eddie waited impatiently, his breathing felt labored. It felt like dehydration was gonna kill him before the walker bite did.

Finally, Mike returned with a water bottle and a can of soup. "Brought you something to eat too."

"Thanks." Eddie said. He accepted the food and the water, already downing the water. "How… How's the kid?"

"She… gave birth, to twins." Mike said.

"Damn." Eddie said. "And she's okay?"

"She's been out for a while, but she's breathing." Mike said.

"That's good…. At least this wasn't for nothing…" Eddie said.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"I got bit saving a kid… That makes it worth it." Eddie said. "Helps me make up for all the shitty things I've done in my life. I could've ran away, could've ditched her. But I wasn't a coward, I've known too many of those."

"Me too, man… Me too…" Mike said.

* * *

After retrieving the bassinet, Vince and Bonnie proceeded to clean it as well as possible before bringing it to Christa and Clementine's home. When Kenny came by with the mesh fabric, Vince decided to try and talk to the other man. He knew he was going through a tough time.

"How you holding up, Kenny?" Vince asked.

"Why do you ask?" Kenny questioned.

"I know things have been hard... With everything that's happened. And Sarita-"

Kenny interrupted him. "Is fine."

"What?" Vince said.

"Sarita's gonna be fine. She just needs time to rest." Kenny said.

Vince sighed. "Kenny, I understand how you're feeling right now, but-"

"You don't understand shit!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Guys, calm down…" Bonnie tried to intervene, but was ignored.

"You people don't have the slightest idea what I'm going through!" Kenny hissed.

"I do, Kenny. I seriously do." Vince said.

"Just because all of y'all have given up on Sarita, doesn't mean I will. I love that woman!" Kenny snapped.

"I'm not telling you to give up. I'm trying to help you, man." Vince said.

"I don't need your help! Or your pity! Just leave me the fuck alone." Kenny spat.

As he turned to leave Vince grabbed him. "Wait," He immediately regretted that when Kenny threw a punch in his direction.

Vince stumbled back from the sudden blow. "What the FUCK is your problem?"

"Guys, stop!" Russell called.

Kenny said nothing as he turned and walked from the building.

Bonnie quickly grabbed Vince's arm to keep him from fighting. "Vince, just… just let him be. Please."

"Are you kidding me right now? Did you not see what just happened?" Vince asked.

"I did, but… he's going through a hard time." Bonnie said.

"We're all going through shit. I was trying to help him." Vince said.

"It's not worth it, man." Russell said. "He's not mad at you. He's mad at the world."

"Doesn't give him an excuse to swing at me." Vince said.

"I know… But just… let it go." Russell said.

"Let it go?" Vince said. "Really?"

"Please…. We have enough to worry about." Bonnie said. "Let's just fix this cradle up. Think about the babies."

"Yeah… Alright…" Vince huffed. "Let's do that."

"Thank you." Bonnie said.

* * *

Her head hurt and her body throbbed with pain. The child shifted slightly, only for her body to scream at her, freezing her in place. The pain eased after a few wrenching moments, and the girl took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered open and she called in a small voice "Ch-Christa?"

The minute the call reached her ears Christa made her way to the child. She was surprised and glad that the girl was awake. "Hey…. Clem, how are you feeling?"

Clementine was confused by the defibrillator pads that were on her body, and by her lack of clothing. "W-What's going on?"

"It's alright, Clem. Just leave those on, okay?" Christa said.

The child gave a confused nod. "Where…. Are my clothes?"

"I'll asked Carlos if you're allowed to get dressed, for now just keep that blanket on." Christa said.

Clementine sighed but nodded once more. She slowly tried to sit up, wincing as pain shot through her body. She could barely move more than a few inches without feeling excruciating pain. "I'm… sore…"

"Yeah… You're gonna be sore for a while. Take it easy." Christa said.

Clementine laid back down, trying to ignore the pain she was feeling. She was feeling a lot more than just sore. The child looked around the room, her gaze stopped on Sarita's unconscious form and she frowned.

"You okay, Clem?" Christa asked.

Clementine whimpered a bit. "I… I h-hurt Sarita…"

"What?"

"I h-hurt her…" The child said.

"No… No, baby. You didn't." Christa said. "You did nothing wrong."

"Y-Yes, I did. I… I saw it." Clementine said.

"What do you mean you saw it?" Christa asked, raising a brow.

"I could… I could see e-everything…" Clementine whimpered. "But I… I c-couldn't stop myself. I'm a m-monster."

"That's not true, Clem. None of this is your fault." Christa said.

"Then… Then why did you guys tie me up…?" Clementine asked, tugging weakly on the ropes. "You're scared of me… Aren't you?"

"Clem…"

"You think…. You think I'm dangerous?" Clementine asked.

"No… It's not that."

"Then what is it?" Clementine questioned.

"This is for your own good." Christa said. "Believe me."

The girl didn't respond to her.

"I'm gonna get you something to eat." Christa switched to a lighter subject.

"Not hungry…"

"You gotta eat." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head. She didn't want to eat. She felt too depressed to want to eat. "M-My babies… Where are my babies…?"

"They're fine. Carlos has them." Christa said.

"I…I want them… I want to see th-them…" Clementine said.

"Clem, you can't right now." Christa said.

"W-Why?" Clementine inquired.

"Doctor's orders." Christa said.

"I want to see them! W-Why can't I?!"

"Because you can't!" Christa said.

The girl started whimpering a bit more.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have yelled at you." Christa said, seeing the girl's reaction.

The child once again fell silent.

"Do you need anything?" Christa asked.

The girl nodded.

"What? What do you need?"

"P-Promise…" Clementine said.

"You want Promise?" Christa looked to the bear that had been placed in the chair. She picked the stuffed animal up and placed it next to the young girl.

"W-What are their names?" Clementine asked.

"Hmm?"

"The twins… What are their names?" Clementine asked.

"Crystal and Aleena." Christa replied. "You named them, sweetie."

Clementine gave a small smile at that.

"They still need middle names." Christa said.

"Crystal Diana and Aleena Edana." Clementine replied.

"That's cute." Christa said.

"Thanks…" Clementine said before giving another tug on the ropes. "I… I wanna take these o-off…"

"We gotta leave those on, Clem." Christa said.

"W-Why?"

"Just… Just in case, sweetie." Christa replied.

"In case what? You think… I… I'll get someone else k-killed?" Clementine asked.

"She's not dead, Clem. You didn't kill anyone." Christa said.

"I shouldn't have come back… I didn't even get to see my p-parents…" Clementine said with a frown.

Christa sighed. "Tell you what, if you eat something, I'll try to bring the twins in her so you can see them."

"R-Really?" Clementine said.

"Really." Christa said. "But you gotta eat first."

"O-Okay…" The girl agreed.

"Good."

* * *

After getting the child to eat a simple bowl of soup, Christa went to ask Carlos if the girl could see the twin. Carlos however refused.

"I don't want them in that room." Carlos said.

"Why not?" Christa demanded.

"Because, it's too risky." Carlos replied.

"Are you being serious right now? We already have her restrained, now we're going to keep her away from her own children?" Christa asked in annoyance.

"They need to be somewhere stable, someplace warm. She's going to have to wait to see them." Carlos said sternly.

"This is ridiculous. They need her." Christa said.

"They can't be with her right now. They need to be in a warm closed off environment. They could get sick easily. Their immune systems are still developing and they're susceptible to all sorts of viruses and infections." Carlos argued. "I'm going to keep Clementine under forty-eight hour surveillance. For now, I'm going to go check on her, then we need to get ready to move her and the twins home, where they can be more comfortable."

Christa sighed. "Clementine's not gonna be so happy about this…"

"It's not about her feelings, this is in the babies' best interest." Carlos said. "I'm going to make sure she's alright… Stay with the twins."

"Alright." Christa said.

* * *

Carlos checked Clementine over in silence, he noticed the young girl seemed anxious. She clearly didn't want to be near anyone at the moment. The child's gaze kept shifting to Sarita.

"Considering you just gave birth, you're going to be sore. You're also going to bleed for a while." Carlos explained, he checked the child for a fever. She still had a high one. "Are you feeling sick or anything?"

Clementine shook her head, "Everything h-hurts…"

"Alright, are you feeling pain anywhere specific?" Carlos asked.

"Everywhere…" Clementine brought a shaky hand to her pelvis area. "Especially here…"

Carlos furrowed his brows. He gently pressed against the area, causing the child to wince.

"I… I don't want you to touch me…" Clementine whimpered.

"I'm sorry… I'm just checking for signs of fracture. That might be the cause of your pain." Carlos explained.

Clementine was hesitant, but closed her eyes and nodded.

Carlos proceeded to check her. After a while he assessed, "I think you may have a fracture to your coccyx."

"My… what?"

"Your tailbone." Carlos clarified.

"What's going to happen now?" Clementine asked.

"You just have to take it easy so you can heal." Carlos said. "You'll be alright."

"What about my babies… They're okay, right?" Clementine aske.

"For now." Carlos said.

"I… want to see them. P-Please." The child begged.

"Unfortunately, I can't let you do that." Carlos said.

"Why not?!" The girl snapped.

"Because, I want to make sure there's no trace of infection in your system beforehand." Carlos said. "You have a high fever that hasn't gone done. That's concerning."

"I feel… fine." Carlos said.

"Well, you're not fine." Carlos said. "Until the fever is gone, you're not going to be allowed to see them."

"It's not fair!" Clementine snapped. "They're my babies! Why can't I see them?"

"They could get sick easily. And any type of sickness could kill them. Is that what you want?" The doctor asked in a cold tone.

Clementine felt tears come to her eyes. "N-No…"

"Then you'll wait until the fever is gone to see them." Carlos said. "I'm gonna find you something to wear."

"I… Is Sarita going to be okay?" Clementine suddenly asked.

"...I can't answer that." Carlos said.

"Is she going to die?" Clementine chewed her lip, stopping herself from adding 'Because of me'. She wanted to hear the man's honest response.

"We'll have to wait and see…" Carlos simply replied before stepping out of the room.

* * *

A while passed before Kenny, Bonnie, and Vince returned to the church. Carlos had Luke, Bonnie, and Christa help move Clementine and the twins home.

With Kenny focused on Sarita, Christa offered to look after AJ for the time being to which Kenny reluctantly agreed.

Clementine was grateful when they untied her and helped dress her in a nightgown. She felt more comfortable and a lot calmer when her hands were free. She clung to Promise, giving a few pained whimpers as she was placed into a wheelchair and moved from the room.

The girl sent one last glance to Sarita as Kenny made his way to the woman, not speaking a word to Clementine or anyone else. He ignored Clementine's call to him and made his way over to Sarita. Clementine couldn't help but feel horrible.

Despite her pleading to see the twins when the child did get a look at them she was worried. They were so small, it scared her.

When they got back to the house Carlos immediately had Christa start up a fire. They placed pots filled with water beside the heat source to naturally humidify the air. And then placed the twins into the bassinet a few feet away from the fire.

For the first time Clementine was able to see her daughters for more than a few seconds. They were beautiful, and they both had distinct differences. The most noticeable to her was their hair. Although they didn't have much, it was clear that both infants had inherited her curly hair. Crystal's was a dark brown, much like Clementine's, while Aleena's was a very light honey-brown.

Clementine watched from her wheelchair as Carlos hooked the infants up to various devices. "…What's wrong with them?" The girl asked anxiously.

"Nothing's wrong… That's just to help them breathe and monitor them." Christa explained.

"Why can't they breathe?" Clementine asked.

"They can, but they need a little help. Their lungs are small, so they have a hard time." Christa said.

Clementine was still worried. "They're gonna be okay, right?"

"They're gonna be fine." Christa said. She started pushing Clementine's wheeling to the girl's bedroom, not wanting the child to be upset by what she was seeing. "How about you just get some rest."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Christa help the child into her bed, apologizing as Clementine let out a few pained noises. Once the girl had laid down Christa pulled the blanket over her.

"I saw Lee…." The girl muttered.

"Hmm?"

"He told me he's proud of me…" Clementine said. "I didn't get to see my mom and dad… I want to see them, I miss them."

"I'm sure you do." Christa sighed. "But they're proud of you too, Clementine."

"I hope so." Clementine said. "I could see… everything that was happening. And for a while, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back."

"Well, I'm glad you did. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Christa said.

"I'm glad I did too." Clementine said.

"Try to get some rest, Clem." Christa said.

"Okay, Christa." Clementine agreed.

* * *

"It's alright, Sarita. It's gonna be okay." Kenny muttered as he stroked the unconscious woman's hair. "Everything's okay, babe. Everything's okay. We're gonna get through this. We're gonna do what we gotta do. We're gonna play the shit hand that this shit world dealt us…"

The room was silent for a while until the door opened.

"Hey," Jane's voice said.

She was the last person Kenny wanted to deal with. "What do you want?"

"Just checking in." Jane said. "Wanted to see how Sarita was doing."

"Like you care…" Kenny scoffed.

"No need to be rude." Jane said.

"I ain't being rude. I just don't appreciate you coming in here starting shit." Kenny said. "Worry about yourself."

"I'm alright… I'm still alive…" Jane said, her movements were slow and she was clearly in pain. Still, she was curious to see how Sarita was doing. She was worried that the woman would turn and Kenny wouldn't be able to take care of it. "And like I said before, I was seeing how Sarita was doing."

"She's fine."

"She doesn't look fine." Jane said. "I'm… surprised you guys actually cut her arm off…"

"We did it to save her life. It worked for that guy, Reggie." Kenny said.

"And what are the chances of it working now?" Jane asked.

"She's not running a fever. She's gonna be fine." Kenny said. "Shouldn't you be with your uh, boyfriend or whatever?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Jane huffed.

"What do you prefer I call him? Your friend with benefits, or your fuck buddy?" Kenny rolled his good eye. "Just leave us alone, will you?"

"You don't have to be an asshole, you know. I know it's second nature for you, but I'm not the enemy." Jane said.

"You sure act like one." Kenny grumbled.

"You're not thinking reasonably. Even if she doesn't turn, who's to say she'll wake up? What if she just stays in a coma?" Jane said.

"Shut up!" Kenny snapped.

"Losing an arm, that's pretty damn traumatic. I'm sure she lost a lot of blood. She might not wake up." Jane said.

"FUCK YOU! She's gonna wake up!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Just because you say it, doesn't make it true…" Jane said.

"Is this what makes you happy? To go around and piss people off?" Kenny said. "It's probably a good thing you didn't have that kid. Who know how it'd turn out with you as a mother."

"What the hell did you just say?" Jane asked.

"You heard me." Kenny replied.

Jane glared at him. "You really are a piece of shit, you know that. I-"

Both Kenny and Jane flinched, eyes going wide as a sudden gunshot rang out.

* * *

 _When Clementine found her wrist tied to a wheelchair the girl panicked. She tried to free herself to no avail._

" _How's it feel?"_

 _Clementine felt her heart drop as she heard that voice. "Wh-What?"_

" _How's it feel to be a killer, honey?" Carver asked stepping into the room._

 _Clementine noticed at that moment that she was back in his dreaded office, tied to a wheelchair. At his complete mercy and unable get away… "I… I didn't kill anyone…"_

" _But you did, Clementine. You know you did." Carver said._

" _S-Sarita's not dead. I didn't kill her! I didn't kill anyone." Clementine argued._

" _What happened to her is all your fault." Carver replied. "It's only a matter of time before you get everyone else around killed."_

 _Clementine shook her head. "N-No…"_

" _Yes…" Carver chuckled. "You're a murderer, honey."_

" _Stop it… Leave me alone!" Clementine started thrashing, trying to get free._

" _I'd never do that. You belong to me, Clem. You, and those little girls." Carver said._

" _They're not yours! I'm not yours! STOP IT!" Clementine exclaimed._

" _I'll show you how wrong you are about that, honey." Carver started walking towards her. "You are mine. I don't want you to forget that._

 _Clementine was so frightened that she shook uncontrollably. Her heart pounded so quickly she thought it would burst._

* * *

Carlos held Clementine down to keep the child from injuring herself as her little body shook and convulsed.

Luke and Christa exchanged looks.

"What's happening?!" Luke asked. He had assumed the child was having a nightmare. "Why is she-"

"She's having a seizure." Carlos stated, trying to keep calm.

"A what?!" Luke asked.

"A seizure." Carlos repeated.

Several minutes passed before abruptly the child went limp.

"The AED, get it." Carlos ordered.

Luke hesitated, "But she's breathing…"

"Just get it!" Carlos held the child up and ordered for Christa to strip her clothing.

Christa did so, carefully pulling the nightgown over Clementine's head.

Luke rushed from the room to get the AED.

"Why is she seizing?" Christa inquired.

"I don't know." Carlos said. "Lay her down."

Christa did so.

Carlos placed a hand against the child chest and could feel her little heart pounding wildly.

A few moments passed before Luke rushed into the room with the AED. Carlos quickly opened it and placed the pad on the child.

As soon as the machine advised the shock, Carlos pressed the button.

"W-What's happened?" Luke asked.

"She went into V-Tach." Carlos said.

"What's V-Tach?" Luke looked confused.

"It's when the heart beats too quickly." Christa said.

Carlos check the girl's pulse, finding it was normal. "Let's just let her rest…" He pulled her blanket back over her.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Christa asked.

"I think so. Like I said. The first forty-eight hours are the most crucial for patients." Carlos replied.

Suddenly the door opened and a panicked looking Bonnie rushed into the room. "Carlos, come quick."

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked.

"There's something wrong with the baby!" Bonnie replied.

* * *

Constant, non-ending pain. That was all he could feel.

He wasn't stupid, he knew he was dying. Everyone knew what the bite meant, what the virus did.

He looked to the bite on his leg. His stomach churned just from seeing it. He wasn't ready to die. Why was this happening to him?

"You look like shit." Wyatt commented.

"You talking to me?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, dude." Wyatt replied.

"You must be mistaken, man. I'm not a mirror." Eddie scoffed.

"You're still an asshole, I see." Wyatt muttered.

"I'll say the same for you." Eddie said. "You haven't changed much."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Wyatt said.

"I will say, your bedside manner could definitely use some work. It's horrible." Eddie chuckled lightly before coughing a bit.

"I'll keep that in mind." Wyatt said.

Silence fell over them for a while before Eddie spoke again.

"I don't have much time…" Eddie muttered.

"What are you gonna do?" Wyatt asked.

Eddie was silent for a moment, his gaze drifted to the gun on Wyatt's hip. "Let me hold that." He motioned to the weapon.

"You… sure?" Wyatt was hesitant to hand it over.

"It's gonna happen one way or another." Eddie said.

Wyatt sighed but handed him the gun.

"Do me a favor." Eddie said.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked.

"Turn around." Eddie replied.

"Eddie…"

"Just do it, man. Please." Eddie said.

Wyatt hesitated, but did as he said. He knew what Eddie planned to do, and honestly he didn't want to see his former friend press the gun to his own head.

"I spent a long time pissed at you for what you did… But I think seeing you again, hearing you apologize, it's brought me a lot of closure. So… thanks for that, man." Eddie said.

"I never meant for that to happen. If I could change things, I would, but…" Wyatt said.

"We can't change the past. I know…" Eddie said. "But we can move on. That's what I should've done before…"

Wyatt was quiet, letting him continue.

Eddie slowly raised the gun. "And now I finally can."

The office door opened and Mike entered the room, intending to check on Eddie. His eyes widened when he noticed Wyatt stand with his back to Eddie, who had a gun aimed towards the blonde male's back.

"No!" Mike screamed.

Seconds later, a gunshot rang out.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Carlos rushed out to the living room, to check on the infants.

"What happened?" He asked Bonnie.

"I… I was burping her like you showed us and she just stopped breathing..." Bonnie explained.

Vince was holding the infant, looking unsure of what to do.

"Let me take her." Carlos took Aleena into his arms. The infant was limp, but she wasn't blue.

Carlos unwrapped the blanket from the infant. He gently rubbed baby's chest. Nothing. He tapped the bottom of the baby's tiny feet. When the child still didn't respond he lightly swatted her left foot. The infant seemed to react, letting out a small cry.

Carlos sighed in relief as the child once again began breathing. He rocked her slightly until her crying died down. He rewrapped her in the blanket and placed the infant into her cradle.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked. "Why did she stop breathing?"

"Many preemies tend to forget to breathe when feeding. Apnea is common among premature babies, especially after a feeding. Sometimes they need to be reminded to resume respiration, since their reflexes are weak." Carlos said.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Luke asked.

"She'll be fine." Carlos said. "First forty-eight hours are always the most crucial. They've been doing well so far."

Luke sighed in relief.

"We need to make another run." Carlos said.

"Where to?" Bonnie asked.

"The hospital. I need to get some supplies for Clementine." Carlos said. "I need you and Luke to come with me."

Bonnie nodded.

Luke looked unsure. "What about the twins. We can't leave Christa with all the kids."

"Russell, would you mind helping Christa out with them?"

Russell looked unsure. "I wouldn't really know what to do… But I'll do my best."

"Thank you. I'm going to check in on Clem, and then we can go." Carlos said.

Luke and Bonnie nodded.

* * *

Wyatt didn't have time to react when the gunshot rang out.

Mike stood in place, shell-shocked for a moment as the wounded Wyatt fell forward onto the ground.

The bullet pierced his left shoulder blade, shattering the bone and knocking him to the ground. Wyatt gripped his shoulder, feeling blood oozing between his fingers. A wave a dizziness washed over him, blurring his vision. His eyes fluttered shut as he groaned in agony, moments later he lost consciousness.

Without wasting another second, Mike rushed towards Eddie and grabbed for the gun.

Eddie kept a grip on in, and the two struggled a bit. Mike was getting the upper hand quite easily.

Before he could yank the gun away, it went off for a second time. Mike choked, bringing a hand to his chest. He crumbled to the ground.

The dark look on Eddie's face faded and his eyes went wide as he realized what he had just done.

He didn't notice the door open, or someone rushing into the room. He barely felt the blow when Vince punched him. Eddie's grip on the gun loosened and it dropped to the ground.

* * *

"She's still feverish." Carlos noted as he placed a wet rag on the sleeping child's forehead. "A high fever at that…"

"What do you think that means?" Christa asked. "I'm worried about this…"

"A fever is the body's way of fighting infection…" Carlos said. "The arrhythmias she's been having are my main concern. I'm worried about her heart, this isn't normal."

"Yeah… I'm worried about that too." Christa agreed. "What should we do about it?"

"We get her on some antibiotics and pain relievers, and make sure to keep her hydrated. Hopefully, we can flush whatever is causing it out of her system like a common cold." Carlos said/

"But this isn't a common cold." Christa said. "Common colds don't come with heart problems."

"I know…" Carlos agreed. "I can't say for sure what it is. The fever could be the remnant of the walker virus, considering she turned. Or it could be infection from her giving birth... Regardless, we need to get it out her system."

"And what do we do about the arrhythmias?" Christa asked.

"I want to put her on an anti-arrhythmia medication." Carlos said.

"Is that safe for a child?" Christa questioned.

"Some of them are… They're not often used for children, but beta blockers could help keep her from going into V-tach." Carlos said. "Sometimes they're prescribed for anxiety as well, it could help end some of those panic attacks she has."

"Alright…" Christa said.

"I am a bit hesitant however. One reason being her age, she's young and I would need to find a medication that would be okay for her. The other reason is the twins." Carlos said.

"The twins? What do you need for them?" Christa asked.

"Crystal has spit up multiple times. It could just be reflux, or it could be a sign of a formula allergy." Carlos said. "That being said, I think it's in the twins' best interest if Clementine starts pumping milk for them."

"I don't know about that… Clementine might not be comfortable pumping. She's still a little kid." Christa said.

"Regardless of if she's comfortable or not, she's going to have to get used to the idea of pumping, maybe even nursing." Carlos said. "She needs to learn how to take care of her twins."

"And she will learn, but you seriously think we should make a child nurse the babies?" Christa asked. "Are you out of your mind."

"They're her babies. She may be a child, but she's also a mother now. And as their mother there are certain things that she has to do. She was willing to go through the pregnancy, now she needs to be dedicated to caring for her twins." Carlos said.

"My point is, she's a child. She shouldn't even be going through this." Christa retorted. "She didn't ask to get raped. And for fuck's sake she didn't ask to get pregnant!"

"You're right about that. She didn't ask to get pregnant, but she did decide to keep the babies. She can't just give birth and expect it to be easy." Carlos said.

"You said yourself that a forcing a miscarriage could be dangerous. And we obviously didn't have the right equipment to give her an abortion." Christa replied.

"I know what I said, but Clementine is still their mother. She should know how to take care of them." Carlos said. "Breastfeeding is good for preterm infants because of its immunological advantages. Maybe if she hadn't wandered off, the twins wouldn't have been born so early."

"So you're blaming her?" Christa inquired.

"What?"

"You're blaming her for giving birth early?" Christa demanded.

"The reason I wanted her on bedrest was to prevent an early delivery. If she hadn't left town, maybe she wouldn't have given birth this early." Carlos said.

"She's eleven! I doubt she would've carried those babies for a full nine months. It's not her fault, and you have no right to blame her!" Christa snapped at the doctor.

"Her going into preterm labor was just one consequence of her impetuous actions." Carlos said coldly. "Her getting raped again was another consequence."

"Why would you say that?" Christa inquired. "None of that is her fault. You can't just victim blame a child. You think it was her fault that she got raped?!"

"She left a town where she and her children were safe. She wandered off on her own, after we've told her time and time again not to. It's not her fault that Troy and whoever else touched her did so, but it could've been avoided if she hadn't left in the first place." Carlos said.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Christa said. "You wouldn't say that if it was your daughter."

"Leave Sarah out of this." Carlos said.

"No. You wouldn't blame Sarah if she was the one who got abused. How dare you blame Clementine!" Christa said.

"I didn't blame her for getting raped, but she is responsible for her own actions." Carlos said. "It's not her fault that she was abused, but her actions did have consequences. Hopefully she'll learn from her mistakes."

"What's wrong with you?" Christa said.

"I apologize if I offended you, but if she would realize that we're trying to keep her safe, and stop fighting against us, maybe things wouldn't be so difficult for her or us." Carlos responded.

"What's your issue with her?" Christa inquired.

"Pardon?"

"You act like she's a bad person. That girl hasn't done anything wrong. She's just a kid." Christa said.

Carlos frowned. "She's not just a kid. She's-"

"She's what?" Christa demanded.

"She's far from "just a kid". I can say that much." Carlos huffed.

"You're right. She's the toughest little girl I know." Christa said.

"I won't deny that she's tough. My point is she's not a normal child. Normal children stray away from things they perceive as dangerous. She knows how bad things are out there, she was in a stable space. She had no business leaving." Carlos said.

"She left because this place isn't stable. The whole group is dysfunctional. Clementine doesn't feel comfortable here." Christa said.

"She felt comfortable enough to kiss my daughter." Carlos muttered.

"Is that what this is about? A kiss?" Christa asked.

Carlos opened his mouth to speak, but Christa continued.

"You're seriously treating a child like shit because of a kiss?!"

"It's not because of the kiss." Carlos said. "And I'm in no way treating her wrong. I'm being honest. All that wandering off is going to get her killed."

"Her wandering off won't kill her any faster than the stress already is." Christa huffed. "She deserves better."

Carlos sighed. "Luke, Bonnie, and I are going to the hospital so I can try to find the beta blockers and any other medical supplies we might need."

"When do you think she'll wake up?" Christa asked.

"It could be a while. She's gone through a lot." Carlos said. "She has a long road to recovery."

Christa just nodded and sat beside the girl.

"I'll be back soon." Carlos said before leaving the room.

* * *

The sound of gunshots alerted both Jane and Kenny. Both were shocked and quickly went to go see what was going on.

When they got into the office the sight in the room caused them to freeze. Mike and Wyatt were on the ground, both bleeding profusely. They noticed Vince holding a gun which was pressed against Eddie's head as he gripped the other man's collar.

What the fuck happened?" Kenny asked.

"This asshole, shot them!" Vince snapped.

"Vince, put the gun down…" Jane said. The look of horror on Eddie's face surprised her.

"Are you crazy? Do you not see what he did?!" Vince exclaimed.

"Are they alive?" Kenny asked.

"I don't know…" Vince huffed and let Eddie go. He handed Kenny the gun. "Make sure this fucker doesn't go anywhere.

Kenny nodded and grabbed the gun while Jane and Vince checked on Mike and Wyatt to see if they were still breathing. Kenny aimed the gun at Eddie. "Don't do anything stupid." He warned.

Eddie didn't respond.

"They're both alive. We gotta do something." Vince said.

"They need a doctor." Jane said.

"Go get Carlos. Hurry." Vince said.

Jane quickly left to find Carlos.

"What are you waiting for? Pull the trigger." Eddie said.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"If you're gonna shoot me go ahead." Eddie urged.

"I should." Kenny replied.

"Why don't you? I have nothing to lose." Eddie said. "I'm bit. Either you shoot me now, or you'll do it later."

"Because I'm sure there are plenty of other people who would love to do the job." Kenny scoffed.

Eddie lowered his gaze, not responding.

"Give me the gun." Vince said. "I'll do it."

"You sure?" Kenny asked.

"Give it to me." Vince said again.

Kenny sighed, but handed it to him.

Eddie closed his eyes.

"Only a coward would shoot someone who had their back turned." Vince said. "You're a piece of shit."

"What do you want me to say?" Eddie asked.

"There's nothing you can say." Vince said.

"Then pull the trigger. Go ahead." Eddie replied.

Vince glared at him, slowly raising the gun.

"Do it…." Eddie said, not even a hint of fear in his eyes.

Vince did without hesitation. "Fuck…" He dropped the gun and took a deep breath.

"We need to stop the bleeding." Kenny said, motioning to Mike and Wyatt.

"You're right…" Vince said.

Kenny carefully moved Mike to his back. He quickly noticed the bullet hole in his chest. Mike's shirt was soaked with blood and he wasn't breathing. "Fuck..."

"What?" Vince asked.

"I think he's dead..." Kenny said.

"You sure?" Vince questioned.

"He's not breathing." Kenny replied.

"I'll... I'll try to give him CPR. Get some bandages, make it fast." Vince said.

Kenny nodded and went to do so.

Vince checked Wyatt's pulse, finding a weak one. "Don't die on me, man." He then turned his attention to Mike and started CPR.

* * *

Jane could feel her own healing wounds throbbing as she hurried out of the church.

She made her way to Christa's home where she figured Carlos and the others would be. She knocked at the door and it was opened by Russell. "Everything alright?" Russell asked.

"Where's Carlos?" Jane asked.

"Carlos? He just left a little while ago." Russell said. "What's wrong?"

"We got a problem..." Jane said.

Russell furrowed his brows. "What happened?"

Before Jane could say another word, Christa approached. "Is everything alright?"

* * *

Christa placed AJ on the ground, letting him play with a couple toys. The baby was starting to learn to crawl which meant she had to keep a close eye on him. The woman made her way to Clementine's bedside and checked the girl's forehead. She still had a fever though it seemed the medicine Carlos had given her brought it down slightly.

"She's been out all day." Becca said as she looked to Clementine's figure.

"Her body's exhausted. She just gave birth…" Christa said. And went through a lot of other things…

"What happened when you found her?" Becca asked.

"What do you mean?" Christa asked.

"Where was she?" Becca asked.

"She…" Christa trailed off. "The important thing is she's here now. And she's safe."

"Is she though…?" Becca asked. "I mean… she lost a lot of blood…"

"She'll be fine. Trust me." Christa said.

"When do you think she'll wake up?" Sarah asked as she looked up from where she was playing with AJ.

"Soon, hopefully." Christa said.

"The better question is _will_ she wake up…" Becca said.

"Of course she will. Don't even talk like that." Christa scolded.

"But they said she turned. When you turn, that means you're dead. How is she alive?" Becca said.

"I don't know…" Christa muttered.

"Is it like this for everyone? Can everyone come back, or was she just special?" Becca scoffed.

"I don't know, Becca. I don't know." Christa said again.

"This doesn't make any sense! How can she still be alive if she turned?" Becca said.

Christa sighed, "Becca-"

"Why couldn't Shel have lived?!" Becca exclaimed cause Sarah to flinch and AJ to begin crying.

Christa frowned while Sarah tried to calm AJ by picking the baby up.

"She didn't have to die… " Becca said in a softer tone.

"You said she was bit… You know what the bite does…" Christa said.

"I don't care. How come Clem gets to come back and no one else does? What makes her so special?" Becca asked.

"Clem wasn't bit. I don't know how it happened, but that last shock got her heart to start again. If it wasn't for that, she would be dead." Christa said.

"But how?" Becca asked. "It's not fair… Shel should be here."

"She saved Clem… and those two babies in there." Christa said.

"At what price? Look at Clem now. She doesn't look okay to me." Becca said.

"Your sister died a hero. She saved three lives. If it wasn't for her, those babies wouldn't be here. Clem wouldn't be here. That means a lot." Christa said.

Becca opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as she heard a knock on the door.

"Stay here. Keep an eye on AJ." Christa said.

Sarah and Becca nodded.

Christa left the room and headed to the living room. She glanced to the bassinet, the twins were both fast asleep.

Russell had opened the door and was talking to a concerned looking Jane.

Christa made her way over. "Is everything okay?"

"We got a problem." Jane said.

"What's wrong?" Christa asked.

"We need Carlos." Jane informed. "Eddie shot Wyatt and Mike."

Russell's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Shit… Are they alive?" Christa asked.

"Barely…" Jane said.

"What should we do?" Russell asked Christa.

Christa thought for a moment. "Jane, stay with the kids."

"What are you gonna do?" Jane asked.

"Try to save their lives." Christa said.

Russell and Jane exchanged looks as Christa moved pass them, Russell quickly followed behind her.

* * *

"Everything okay?" Bonnie asked Carlos, after a while of walking in a uncomfortable silence.

"I can't recall the last time everything has been okay…" Carlos said.

"You think Christa is alright with the kids?" Luke suddenly asked.

"Christa knows what to do…" Carlos said. "Don't worry."

"I just… maybe I should've stayed back, to help out with the twins. She has a lot on her plate right now with Clem, plus she's looking after AJ." Luke said.

"Russell can help her. And Sarah and Becca can help with AJ. They'll be fine." Bonnie said.

"We shouldn't be gone long. We'll get what we need, then go." Carlos added.

"So what do we need?" Bonnie asked.

"You're both aware that Clementine had a seizure this morning, correct?" Carlos questioned.

"What triggered it?" Luke asked.

"My presumption is it's a case of PNES." Carlos answered.

"What's that?" Bonnie asked.

"Psychogenic Nonepileptic seizures. Seizures brought on by intense emotional distress or trauma, like sexual abuse. The seizures are usually caused by stress, anxiety, or depression. Clementine happens to be suffering from all three."

"She's definitely overly-stressed." Luke said.

"And the last few days is in no way helping her stress levels." Carlos said.

"So what do we do?" Bonnie asked.

"We need to find an anxiety medication. The one I'm searching for is also a beta blocker." Carlos said.

"What's a beta blocker?" Luke asked.

"It'll help calm the arrhythmias she's been having. And hopefully prevent her from going into V-tach." Carlos said.

"Where are the suddenly arrhythmias coming from?" Bonnie asked.

"Once again, probably stress… Or it could also be her body's reaction to suddenly being shocked back to life. As far as we know, she's the first one to have turned and then come back." Carlos said.

"What are you saying?" Luke asked.

"Perhaps her body needs time to realize she's alive. Just because she knows it, doesn't mean her body does." Carlos said. "Everything's happened so fast to her. Without proper equipment we can't know exactly what the issue is."

"What do you think is wrong?" Bonnie questioned.

"She could have a lot of internal damage, from the rape, from the pregnancy… Everything that's happened over these past months, it could have easily caused some irreversible damage that we may not have noticed until now. We've seen the impact on her mental state, but her physical state is also a concern." Carlos said. "If the world was normal, that child would be in the hospital, having test run on her to find out what's wrong, but unfortunately, we can't do that. We have to take whatever methods we can to prevent things from getting worse."

"So the medicine, it'll help her, right?" Bonnie asked.

"It will keep her heart from beating too fast. It'll also help lessen her anxiety, which will hopefully control the seizures." Carlos said. "It's called Propranolol. Some people are hesitant to prescribe beta blockers to children, but Clementine is going to be an exception. Propranolol is the safest beta blocker that I know of."

"Why isn't it given to children?" Luke asked.

"On some occasions it is, but like medication people worry about the ill effects." Carlos explained.

"So… It won't hurt her, right?" Luke asked.

"Not if I properly manage her dosage." Carlos said. "That's not all we're here for. Clementine needs an antibiotic to flush any bacteria out of her system. On another note, we need more supplies for the twins."

"Considering none of us were expecting her to have two babies, we only stocked up on enough supplies for one." Luke said.

"The main thing for them, is getting another C-Pap. Crystal has been recessing a lot more than Aleena, but that could always change. It's better to keep prepared for anything, just in case." Carlos said.

"Alright. Anything else?" Bonnie asked.

"Baby formula, specifically made for preemies. I don't know if it's just reflux, or if Crystal is allergic to the current formula, but preemie formula will help them gain the nutrition they need." Carlos said.

"Alright then." Luke said.

"I'm also going to try to get Clementine to pump once she wakes up. Fortunately, Propranolol will only show up in low levels in breastmilk, so it shouldn't affect the babies." Carlos said.

"Wait, what? You want her to start b-breastfeeding?" Luke asked. "But she's a little kid."

"I'm well aware of that." Carlos said. "But you people seem to be overlooking the fact that she's also a mother now. She can provide better for her children than we can."

"But it's weird… You don't think she'll be uncomfortable." Luke said.

"It'll only be weird, if people make it weird. She'll get used to it." Carlos said.

"If… If you say so…" Luke muttered.

* * *

Christa and Russell rushed to the church. They wasted no time in going into the office.

Blood covered the floor. Vince was performing CPR on Mike while Kenny was pressing against Wyatt's wound to try and stop the bleeding.

Everytime Vince compressed Mike's chest the bullet wound would heave blood. After several minutes with no success he was panicking. Vince noticed the blood dripping from the corner of Mike's mouth.

"Fuck… He's coughing up blood. I don't want him to choke to death." Vince said.

"What do we do?" Kenny asked.

"We need Carlos. Where the fuck is he?" Vince huffed.

Christa made her way over to them.

"Here, let me take over." Christa said to Vince.

Vince moved and Christa took over.

Christa ripped Mike's shirt and asked, "How did this happen?"

"I… I don't know… Eddie… Eddie shot them. It's bad…" Vince said.

"We need to stop the bleeding first, otherwise the compressions will make him bleed more." Christa used some bandages and applied pressure to the wound. The wound was right below Mike's heart. Blood ran like a river. The way he was bleeding she couldn't see him getting by without a transfusion. "He's coughing up blood, that's indication for a punctured lung."

"Wyatt's injured too. What do we do?" Vince asked.

Christa continued the compressions, not responding.

"We gotta do something!" Russell said.

"I'm doing what I can!" Christa snapped. "Check Wyatt's pulse."

Vince did so. "It's weak."

"Take the scissors from the first aid kit and cut his shirt." Christa said.

Vince quickly did so.

"Roll him on his side and see if the bullet went through." Christa ordered.

Vince and Kenny did as she said.

"I don't see an exit wound." Vince said.

"Damn... It must be lodged in there." Christa mumbled.

"Should we take it out?" Russell asked.

"It's risky. We could paralyze him if we do. For now, focus on trying to stop the bleeding. We don't know how close the bullet is to his spine so don't put too much pressure on his back." Christa ordered. She felt overwhelmed, struggling to keep two people alive. Mike was still losing a large amount of blood despite her attempts to stop the bleeding. "I… I don't think Mike's gonna make it."

"That AED thing, will it help?" Vince asked.

"It's not going to do much. Not if he was hit in the heart." Christa said.

"It worked on Clem… She lost a lot of blood." Russell said.

"She wasn't hit in the chest. There's a reason doctors can't save everyone… They're not miracle workers." Christa said. "Russell, keep pressure on Mike's wound while I give him CPR."

Russell nodded and pressed against the wound.

Christa began to perform CPR on Mike. Minutes were passing and it was doing no good.

"I stopped the bleeding." Vince announced.

"Good, clean it and stitch it up." Christa said.

"What about the bullet?" Vince asked.

"Leave the bullet, just clean and stitch the wound." Christa said.

Vince followed her instructions. He cleaned the wound as much as possible and stitched the hole closed quickly.

Christa continued trying to stir life into Mike, but her efforts were failing. "This… This isn't going to work."

"What?" Russell asked.

"He's gone… I… I can't do anymore." Christa muttered, as she stopped the compressions.

"You're giving up?" Russell asked.

"I'm not giving up. There's nothing more I can do for him." Christa said. "I would if I could, but… I can't…"

Christa?" Vince called.

Christa just shook her head, looking at her blood covered hands."I can't…"

* * *

Jane stood in the living room, her gaze drifted to the bassinet that the twins were in. She was hesitant to look at the babies.

As heartsick as she was when she had learned of her pregnancy, she felt numb about the miscarriage. She hadn't wanted the baby to begin with, but when she had finally accepted the idea and prepared herself for the arrival of her child, it was suddenly snatched away from her before she could even meet it.

A whimper from the bassinet snapped Jane out of her thoughts and back to the present.

She tried to ignore the sound, but the whimpers continued.

Jane reluctantly approached the cradle. Her breath caught as she got a good look at the two babies for the first time. Her heart was hammering as she noticed how small they were. She looked at one of the babies, seeing the breathing device she was attached to. Jane frowned.

Her attention shifted the other, whimpering infant. Jane didn't know if she should pick the child up or not, but as the baby's cries grew a bit louder she scooped the infant into her arms.

Jane held the still whimpering infant awkwardly. She tried rocking the baby, but she continued crying. "Calm down. What are you crying for?"

"That's what babies do." Becca said, entering the room.

"I know that." Jane huffed.

"We're not supposed to pick them up." Becca said. "Carlos said not to."

"It was crying. I think it needs food or something." Jane replied.

"She's a baby, not an it." Becca said. "Her name is Crystal."

"Crystal…" Jane repeated. "What's the other one's name?"

"Aleena." Becca said. "Anyway, Carlos and Luke made sure they were fed before they left."

"Oh… So, Aleena… Is she sick?"

"Carlos said she just needs help breathing." Becca said. "He called it apnea."

"What about this one?" Jane motioned to the baby in her arms.

"She's been throwing up a lot. But I think she's okay." Becca said. "Where's Christa?"

"She went to the church." Jane said.

"Why? Did something happen?" Becca asked.

"Eddie shot Wyatt and Mike." Jane said.

Becca's eyes grew wide, her face paling. "What? Are they… alive?"

"For now…" Jane said.

"Oh my gosh… I can't believe all this shit is happening..." Becca said. "I thought… I thought we could finally be safe once we got to this town…"

"People are crazy, and groups… They always tend to fall apart in the end." Jane said.

Becca frowned at that.

Crystal was still crying, Jane tried to calm her, but failed. "What's wrong with her?"

"She… She probably just needs to be changed." Becca shrugged.

"Do you want to do that?" Jane asked.

"What?"

"I uh… I'm not good with kids. And I don't change diapers." Jane shrugged.

Becca rolled her eyes. "I got her."

Jane handed the baby over.

Becca grabbed a nearby diaper and some wipes and proceeded to change the infant.

"How's Clem?" Jane asked.

"I don't think she's feeling good..." Becca said.

"What's wrong with her?" Jane asked.

"She has a fever. Carlos gave her some medicine for it, but he's trying to find her an antibiotic. I heard the adults say she had a seizure earlier." Becca said.

"A seizure?" Jane asked.

"Yeah…"

"Has that ever happened before?" Jane asked.

"I don't know." Becca said. "I think this was the first."

"Damn… Poor kid…" Jane mumbled. "What's she doing now?"

"She's resting. She's exhausted." Becca finished changing the baby and wrapped her in a blanket before placing her back into the bassinet.

"Well, she just had two kids, so I'm not surprised. Kids drain the life out of you… I told her not to have them. She should've listened." Jane said.

"Well, they're here now. And I'm sure Clem will be a good mom." Becca said.

"She's a kid. She shouldn't be a mom." Jane said.

"Too late for that. I know it's bad that a little kid had twins, but at least she'll have everyone's help raising them." Becca said.

"They're her responsibility and in the end, she's gonna have to be there for them. Everyone seems to think that just because we're in this town that we're safe. We're not safe here. We're sitting targets. If a group wanted to come in and attack, we'd be powerless to stop them." Jane said.

"We have guns. If a group tried to attack us, we would fight back." Becca said.

"And what's the likelihood that'd we'd come out on top? The way this group is... there's more liabilities than able bodied people." Jane said.

"Liabilities?"

"Exactly. Think about how many people are injured. Sarita lost her arm, helping Clementine give birth. So many people risked their lives to let those twins live." Jane said. "Now Kenny's a mess and Clementine's in bad condition. Do you really think it was worth her having those kids?"

"I..."

"We already had one baby to worry about. Now we're stuck with three." Jane said.

"But wasn't the reason you came to find Luke, because you were pregnant? You were gonna have that baby." Becca pointed out.

"The difference is I'd be able to take care of my kid. Clem can't do that." Jane said.

"And why not?"

"Because she's a kid herself." Jane responded.

"Shel died to save her and those twins. Clementine fought to have them. And she's going to be a good mother, despite being a kid." Becca said.

"We'll see..." Jane said.

* * *

After gathering the supplies they needed, Bonnie, Carlos, and Luke returned to Clementine's house where they were surprised to find an anxious looking Becca and Jane.

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked.

"What happened? Carlos questioned.

"Wyatt and Mike were shot." Jane replied.

"What?! By who?" Bonnie asked, looking horrified.

"Who do you think? Wyatt's friend, Eddie." Becca answered.

"Where's Christa?" Luke asked.

"She's went to check on them…" Jane said.

Carlos nodded. "I'll go see what I can do."

"I'm going too." Becca said.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, you'll stay here."

Becca started to protest. "But Bonnie-"

"Becca, please. You don't need to see this." Bonnie said.

"I've seen much worse." Becca said.

"Just stay, for me… Help Sarah with AJ." Bonnie pleaded.

Becca sighed. "Fine…"

"Thank you." Bonnie said.

"Tell Wyatt, he better not die." Becca said.

"Will do, Becca." Bonnie said.

* * *

The bloody scene at the church was heartbreaking. Bonnie immediately began panicking at what she saw.

Carlos ignored her and went to check on Mike and Wyatt.

"I… I did all I could…" Christa said backing away. "I tried."

Carlos checked Mike's pulse and frowned.

"Can't we do anything?" Russell asked.

"He was shot in the chest… There's not much we can do…" Carlos said.

"But you saved Clem…" Bonnie said.

"By chance…" Carlos said. "Clementine didn't have a bullet in her chest. We can't save everyone… Someone's going to have to… make sure he doesn't turn."

Kenny huffed. "I'm getting sick of this shit. Everyday. Everyday, it's something." He turned and left the office.

Bonnie called to him. "Kenny-"

"Let him go…" Christa said. "This isn't easy…"

"Wyatt's still breathing. We stopped the bleeding and stitched the wound." Vince said. "The bullet's still in there."

"Let me take a look at him." Carlos said.

The doctor did an examination to determine that there were no other wounds.

"The bullet may have shattered his shoulder blade… Any further and it could have hit his spinal cord. But I don't think any internal damage has been done. He's lucky..." Carlos said.

"You call that lucky?" Vince huffed.

"Things could've been worse." Carlos said, looking to Mike with a frown.

"I'll uh… make sure he doesn't turn." Vince said. "And then we can do something with the bodies."

Christa sighed, she didn't want to be there for that. "I need to go check on Clem... She's needs me."

"We should bury Mike. He didn't deserve to die. Wyatt didn't deserve this either." Bonnie said.

"Clem needs me." Christa simply repeated before leaving without another word.

Vince slowly picked up the gun and aimed it at Mike's head, pulling the trigger.

* * *

Kenny sat in silence, holding Sarita's hand with a gentle grip.

The woman remained unconscious.

"I'm here, babe. Everything's okay." Kenny said, voice cracking.

Kenny felt like he was going to cry. He couldn't handle losing her. First Duck and Katjaa, now Sarita? Not to mention Clementine was still in deep water. He didn't know what he would do if he lost either of them. They were the only things that kept him going.

Seeing what happened with Mike, that made him worry more. Death had a grip on them all and it could come out of nowhere.

"Wake up, hon. Please, wake up." Kenny held her hand a bit tighter, hoping her eyes would open. They didn't…

* * *

"I wish we could have just one day of peace." Luke said.

"Peaceful days are gone. People need to stop looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, there is none." Jane said.

Luke motioned to the twins, "They're the light. A child's innocence is the only thing that can outweigh the horrors of life."

"Who would want to bring kids into this world?" Jane huffed.

"We almost did." Luke replied.

"Well, I'm glad we didn't…" Jane said.

"Jane…"

"Why would I want to bring a child into a world where death is waiting at every corner." Jane said. "Tell me this, Luke, how do you plan to protect that innocence of theirs?"

Luke looked back to the bassinet. "I… The same way any parent would. With my life."

"And then? You give your life up and then what? You can't protect forever." Jane said. "I'm sure Clementine's parents wanted to protect her, but they're gone and look at the condition she's in. I can't imagine how they would react if they knew about half the shit that kid has been through. Who was protecting her innocence? No one was protecting her when those pedophiles ripped it away."

"That stuff never should've happened." Luke said.

"But it did. My point is, a lot of things shouldn't happen, but they do. No one's safe anymore." Jane replied.

"We'll do our best to keep all the kids safe."

"If you think this group is going to keep those babies safe, you're wrong. Groups fall apart. This group is cracking… I've seen it before… It's only a matter of time before they start turning on each other."

"We've been managing so far..." Luke said.

"You get enough broken people together... And all you're gonna get are broken decisions." Jane said.

"Wouldn't you consider yourself broken?" Luke asked.

"No. Because broken people can't function. I can." Jane said. Look, for what it's worth, I like most of the people here, but groups fall apart. People get killed."

Luke sighed at that. "So you plan on leaving?"

"I don't know… I guess that's a decision I have to make…" Jane replied.

* * *

The rest of the day was anything, but peaceful. Vince, Russell, and Bonnie buried Mike, and knowing Eddie had once been a friend to Wyatt, buried him as well.

They moved Wyatt back home to rest and the rest of the group members headed to their own homes as well, with the exception of Kenny who stayed with Sarita in the church.

Most of the group members didn't sleep well that night.

Christa kept by Clementine's bedside throughout the night, making sure the girl was okay. Clementine hadn't woken up since the seizure that morning, Christa figured the child was exhausted.

Fortunately, AJ and the twins were fast asleep and Carlos had offered to stay the night with Sarah so he could help out with the twins.

Although she often butted heads with Carlos, she appreciated his help. She couldn't handle it on her own. Especially not with how her mind was right now. Everytime she would think about Mike she felt a mixture or sadness and anger for not being able to save him.

Seeing Mike on the ground with a bullet in his chest… The scene was all too familiar.

It brought her back to the day she lost Omid. She hadn't been able to save him, and she couldn't save Mike.

Christa sighed, and rubbed a gentle hand through Clementine's curly, hat-free hair.

That little girl was all she had now, and she almost lost her too. Christa wondered how would Omid react if he was here. If he was still alive…?

A bitter look crossed her face. If he'd been alive, they wouldn't even be here. Clementine wouldn't have been raped, the kid wouldn't have gotten pregnant. They'd be in Wellington by now.

Yet here they were. Omid was dead, Christa's baby was dead, and Clementine was struggling for her life.

It was so unfair.

Omid had been her rock, her everything. She missed him so much.

* * *

When Clementine woke the next morning. Her body was aching and she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. She had been dressed in a nightgown and had a light blanket over her.

"You're awake." Christa sighed in relief.

"Wh-What happened?" Clementine stammered.

"A lot." Christa said honestly. "You… had a seizure yesterday…"

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Have you ever seized before?" Christa asked. She knew the child hadn't when she was looking after her, but that didn't mean it never happened in her life.

"No… Wha- What's wrong with me?" Clementine asked.

"You're fine… You just need some time to recover." Christa said.

Clementine gave a small nod, though the look of fear in her eyes didn't fade away.

"How do you feel?" Christa asked.

"I don't know…. I want to see my girls." Clementine said. "I want to hold them."

"I know you do… but you can't hold them right now." Christa said.

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

"You just woke up, sweetie. We'll let you see them later on. We don't want to move them around much. Preemies are really delicate." Christa told her.

"Preemie?... What's that mean?" Clementine questioned.

"It means born too soon." Christa replied.

"But… But they're okay, right? They're… healthy?" Clementine asked.

"They're fine, sweetie. Don't worry." Christa said. "They're just fragile."

"Aren't all babies fragile?" Clementine asked.

"Yes, but they're a lot more fragile because they're so small." Christa explained.

"I won't hurt them. I just want to hold them." Clementine said.

"I know, sweetie… We'll have to see what Carlos says." Christa said.

"Carlos? I'm their mother, not Carlos!" Clementine exclaimed. "I…I want to see Crystal and Aleena now!"

"You can see them soon, Clem. But Carlos might not want you to hold them right now."

"Everyone gets to hold them expect me! They're my babies! I barely even got to see them!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Because you're in bad shape, Clem. And so are they." Christa said.

"Bad shape..?" Clementine asked. "You said they were fine."

"I-"

"You said they were fine! What's wrong with my babies?" Clementine inquired.

"Aleena… she just had another apnea episode earlier." Christa said.

"Apnea?"

"She stopped breathing." Christa clarified.

Clementine felt her heart skip a beat at that. "What?"

"She stopped breathing, but she's okay now." Christa said.

Clementine frowned. "My… My baby stopped b-breathing? Why?"

"That's normal with preemies, Clem…" Christa said. "Sometimes… they just… forget."

"Forget? How… How do they forget to breathe?" Clementine asked.

"Their lungs are undeveloped… Breathing is already difficult for them." Christa said.

"But… But they're going to be okay, right?" Clementine asked. "My babies are okay?"

"They're fine, right now…" Christa said.

"Are you sure? Aleena's breathing again?" Clementine said.

"Yes, sweetie."

"And Crystal… Is she okay?" Clementine asked.

"She hasn't been eating well." Christa said.

"Why not?"

"She has a hard time keeping food down. She spits up a lot." Christa said. "Look, all this stuff is normal with preemies. Don't worry too much."

"I want to see them! I want to see them now!" Clementine cried, trying to force herself up.

"What's going on?" Carlos asked as he entered the bedroom.

"I want to see my babies… Please…" Clementine said.

"I'll let you see them, but you are aware that seeing them and holding them are two different things." Carlos said.

"Why can't I hold them?" Clementine demanded.

"I want them to be held as little as possible right now. Once I'm sure they're in stable condition, you can hold them." Carlos said.

"When's that going to be?" Clementine asked.

"Probably a few days…" Carlos said.

"It… It's not fair… They're my daughters…" Clementine complained.

"Clementine, don't make things difficult. We have enough we're dealing with as it is." Carlos said.

"What…? What are you dealing with?" Clementine asked.

Carlos and Christa kept quiet.

"What happened while I was asleep…?" Clementine wondered.

Carlos still refused to answer.

Clementine looked to Christa, "Christa?"

"There was… a shooting…" Christa said.

"W-What?" Clementine stuttered.

"Mike and Wyatt got shot." Carlos answered.

"By… By who?" Clementine asked.

"Eddie…" Carlos replied.

Clementine frowned. "A-Are they going to be okay?"

"No…" Carlos said. "Mike passed away yesterday."

"He's dead?" Clementine gasped.

"He's dead…" Christa said.

Clementine frowned at that, clutching her teddy bear. "I don't want to talk anymore…"

"And we don't have to…" Carlos said. "Right now, I have a few medications I want to get into your system. And later today I need you to start pumping."

Clementine gave the doctor a confused look. "Pumping?"

"I'm starting to worry that Crystal might have an allergy to the baby formula we've been feeding her." Carlos said.

"She's allergic?" Clementine asked.

"I'm not completely sure. But we need to be cautious." Carlos said. "I need you to pump milk."

"D-Do I have to…?" Clementine asked.

"If you want your daughters to be healthy, yes." Carlos said.

"I… O-Okay…" Clementine agreed.

"Good." Carlos said.

He had the child take some different medications. "These might make you tired, so try to rest. Once you wake up, I'll let you see the twins."

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise." Carlos said.

* * *

After a sleepless night, Jane decided to clear her head by getting some fresh air. She didn't know how long she was out there before she heard Luke's voice.

"You're up early." Luke said.

"So are you…" Jane said.

"I was thinking I could go help with the twins this morning." Luke replied.

"Yeah…. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Luke nodded.

"When you look at the twins… What do you think?" Jane asked.

"Huh?"

"We just lost a baby, yet you're all over the twins like nothing even happened…" Jane said.

"I'm not just gonna ignore them. I want to do what I can to help." Luke said.

"Aren't you upset?" Jane asked.

"I am… But I can't let myself fall into a depression over it." Luke said. "As much as I've lost… I learned you got to keep going. Especially when I have two little girls that need me."

"I just… feel so numb about it… I don't know what's wrong with me." Jane muttered.

"It's normal that you feel that way… Jane, I might not be the best help because I don't really know what to say… I'm coping with it by trying not to think too much about it." Luke said. "I don't know if you'd be comfortable with this, but maybe you should talk to Christa."

"Christa?"

"She's… lost a child before, in a different way from us, but still…" Luke said. "She had a still-born."

"Fuck… I had no idea…" Jane mumbled.

"Yeah… She told me a while back… I would've never guessed." Luke said. "It's probably hard for her being around the twins as well…"

"Do… Do you think they're yours?" Jane asked.

"I… don't know." Luke said.

"In your honest opinion, do you think they're your babies?" Jane asked again.

"I think there's a possibility. And because of that, I consider them mine …" Luke said. "Either way, I promised Clem I'd be there for them, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Isn't it hard though? They're gonna be a reminder of what happened." Jane said.

"I'm not just gonna turn tail and run. That'd be letting Carver win…" Luke said. "I'm going to do whatever I can for those little girls."

"You…. You're a good guy." Jane sighed.

"I wouldn't say that… I just, want to do my part. The twins… they're my responsibility, father or not." Luke said. "I should've done more for Clem… I promised to stop it, but I couldn't…"

"You can't blame yourself for that. It's not your fault." Jane said.

"It's a lot of people's faults." Luke said. "I should should've done more to help her… The least I can do is be for her and the twins now."

"So you feel obligated?" Jane asked.

"I guess in a way. But as sick as it was when he made Clem and I…" Luke trailed off. "I'd rather them know me as a father, than that pedophile fucker."

"I gotta say, I commend you for it."

"Don't. I'm not a hero. I'm just doing my part. I wouldn't let Clem do this alone." Luke said. "Do you… wanna come with me to see them."

"I can't… I just, can hardly look at them. It's hard." Jane said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean…." Luke said. "I'm here, if you need to talk."

"I'm fine, just go on. I might drop by to see Clem later though." Jane said.

"Alright…." Luke nodded and walked off.

Jane let out a sigh, she wished she could stop thinking about her miscarriage.

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Clementine to fall asleep after taking her medication. Carlos had figured she would after the first few times taking it, considering she wasn't used to it yet. He decided to wait a few hours before having her pump, most antibiotics were safe when breastfeeding, but a three-hour wait was usually advised when taking the propranolol.

Not long after Clementine had dozed off, Luke arrived.

After tending to the twins, Carlos decided to go check in on Sarita and Kenny now that Luke was there to help Christa with the twins.

When he arrived at the church it seemed almost eerily quiet. There was no positive vibe one would think to get when stepping into a church. The placed seemed full of negativity.

Carlos headed to the infirmary and knocked at the door.

There was no response.

Carlos slowly opened the door and walked into the room.

Kenny was sitting in a chair by Sarita's bed, his head buried in his hands.

"Kenny?" Carlos called.

Kenny didn't look up or respond.

"I'm here to check on Sarita."

"Go ahead…" Kenny finally muttered.

Carlos nodded. He gathered some supplies and began cleaning Sarita's stump. Once he finished he checked her for fever. "She's warm, but not as hot as she wound be if she had an infection. That's good."

"So why hasn't she woken up?" Kenny asked.

"She just needs time." Carlos said.

Kenny sighed and lifted his head to look at the doctor. "How's AJ?"

"He's fine. Christa's been looking after him." Carlos replied.

"And the twins?"

"They've been okay…" Carlos said. "No negative changes. And neither child is showing signs of jaundice."

"That's good…" Kenny said. "How's… Clem?"

"She woke up for a brief period of time. I gave her some medicine for the arrhythmias. It's also an anxiety medication, so hopefully it will keep her from having another seizure." Carlos said.

"She had a seizure? When the fuck did that happen?" Kenny asked, eyes wide in shock.

"Yesterday morning." Carlos answered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kenny inquired.

"I'm not sure how me informing you would have helped the situation." Carlos said.

"So you kept it a secret?" Kenny grumbled.

"I didn't keep it a secret. There was just a lot going on. I've already done what I could to treat her, hopefully, the medicine helps." Carlos said.

"Why's she having seizures anyway. As far as I know Clem ain't no epileptic …" Kenny said.

"It's PNES. Seizures caused by stress. Stress could also be the reasoning for her constant fevers." Carlos said.

"She'll be okay, right?" Kenny asked.

"I think so. Things have been touch and go, but hopefully it gets better." Carlos said.

"I hope so…" Kenny sighed.

Carlos nodded. "How's your eye?"

Kenny shrugged. "Sarita's been helping me clean it… It's a lot better than it was. Anyway, why don't you worry about Sarita? I'm fine. This happened months ago, it's practically healed." Kenny said. "Or as healed as it's gonna be."

"It's still important to take care of it, in order to prevent infection."

Kenny just huffed in response. "When do you think she's gonna wake up…?"

"I'm sorry, but that's a question I'm unable to answer." Carlos said.

Kenny lowered his gaze, falling silent at that.

* * *

The day carried on pretty uneventful. Carlos made sure to check in on Wyatt, who was still unconscious before making his way back to Clementine and Christa's house.

The twins were fast asleep, Luke was sitting beside the bassinet.

"How are they doing?" Carlos asked.

"They're fine… Been asleep while a bit." Luke said.

Carlos nodded. "Which means, they'll probably wake up soon."

"Christa tried to give them the other formula but Crystal was refusing it."

"Which is why having Clementine pump will be beneficial." Carlos said.

Carlos made his way into Clementine's room. Clementine was awake, sitting up slightly on her bed. The child was shaking around a rattle while little AJ reached for it from Christa's lap. "You're getting big, goofball."

"He is. That's a good thing." Christa said.

"Have you eaten anything?" Carlos asked the child.

"She had some soup a little while ago." Christa answered for her.

"Alright good." Carlos said. "I want you to get used to using the breast pump. Hopefully you can finish pumping before the twins wake up for their next feeding."

Clementine face flushed with embarrassment. She was nervous, but she wanted to do what was best from her twins. She handed the rattle to AJ, who happily began shaking it.

Carlos got the breast pump and assembled it together according to the instructions.

"Is… Is it going to hurt?" Clementine asked.

"Not at all. It might feel a bit strange."

Clementine was nervous. "O-Okay…"

Carlos instructed her to remove her nightgown.

Clementine was hesitant to do so.

"Don't be afraid." Carlos said.

"I don't… I don't want any guys to look at me…" Clementine whimpered.

"You know I won't hurt you, Clementine." Carlos said.

"That's… That's what they all say, and then…. They… they do it anyway!" Clementine cried.

"I won't hurt you. You know I won't, Clementine." Carlos stepped closer, holding the pump.

Clementine tried to keep from panicking as he got close to her. "STOP!"

"Clementine-"

"I'll help her…" Christa said, gently patting AJ's back as the baby cried. "Just take AJ out of the room, okay?"

Carlos gave a nod, taking AJ.

Christa looked to Clementine, "Sweetie, it's alright. You're safe here."

"I'm not… I can't remember the last time I've ever felt safe…" Clementine said.

"I promise you are. No one here will hurt you." Christa said.

"I've been hurt again and again… I feel my whole life is over. Like I have no purpose…" Clementine mumbled.

"But it's not…" Christa said. "Those little girls in there they need you. So many people love you Clem. You can construct a new life, you got to try to move on from the pain…"

"It's just hard…" Clementine sniffled.

"I know…" Christa said, taking the child's hand. "You're going to be okay. I promise you that."

* * *

Wyatt groaned in pain, eyes fluttering open. He found himself rested on a bed. He didn't recall how he got there, the last thing he remembered was laying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood.

The slightest movement sent a strong pain through his shoulder. Wyatt groaned, trying to sit up. He was in too much pain to do so.

"Fuck!" He swore.

Hearing his yell, Vince entered the room. "Wyatt? You're awake?"

"What the... what the fuck happened, man?" Wyatt asked.

"You got shot. Remember?" Vince said.

"How'd I get here?" Wyatt asked looking around.

"We moved you here. Carlos came by to check on you earlier. Said he thinks the bullet shattered part of your shoulder blade." Vince replied.

"That explains the horrid pain..." Wyatt mumbled. "Where's Eddie?"

"He's dead. I shot him." Vince sighed.

"What?"

"He shot you and Mike?" Vince said. "He gave me no choice."

"Mike? How's he doing?" Wyatt asked.

"He… didn't make it." Vince said.

"Eddie killed him?"

"Yeah…." Vince confirmed.

Wyatt fell quiet, not knowing how to react.

"Wyatt, you good, man?" Vince asked.

"I need to be alone… Please." Wyatt said.

"Wyatt…"

"Please."

Vince nodded and left the room.

Wyatt laid back, looking at the ceiling. He winced slight in pain as he shifted.

The pain in the back of his shoulder was no longer a reminder of being shot. It was now a reminder of the friend he lost and Mike who died because of a mistake Wyatt made years ago.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

"Carlos said your fevers aren't as high as they were before." Christa said. "How are you feeling?"

"I… I don't know… My body aches… And my mind can't stop thinking…." Clementine answered.

"What do you think about?" Christa asked the girl.

"A lot…" Clementine mumbled as she absentmindedly stroked her stuffed bear's ears.

"Like what?" Christa urged the child to clarify.

Clementine didn't respond for a moment. "…I don't want to talk about it…"

Christa fought back a sigh, but nodded her understanding. "That's alright… We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about." Christa said.

Clementine didn't respond.

"Well… It seems like the medicine is helping." Christa said. "No arrhythmias, no seizures. That's good."

"So I'm not going to die?" Clementine asked in a tiny voice.

"No, Clem. You're not going to die." Christa said.

"And… I can hold my girls?" Clementine questioned.

"I don't know about that…" Christa said.

Clementine's face fell. "It's been three days. Why can't I hold them?"

"We'll have to talk to Carlos." Christa said. "You can see them though."

"I want to hold them." Clementine said firmer. "I don't just want to see them. It's not fair."

"I know, Clem. Believe me, I know how you feel. But Carlos is only trying to do what's best for them." Christa told her.

"And that's keeping them away from me?" Clementine inquired.

"No… We're not keeping them away from you. Like I said, you can see them." Christa said.

"But I can't hold them. I can't touch them." Clementine said. "I was sick for months when I was pregnant! And then I had to go through the pain of giving birth! Now I can't even hold my own children?"

"Clementine…"

"I don't feel like their mother… I feel like a stranger!" Clementine huffed, clutching Promise closer to her chest.

"Don't say that, Clem…" Christa said.

"But it's true…" Clementine felt tears in the corner of her eyes. "Everytime I look at them… It's like they're not even mine…"

"Those are your girls, Clem. They're your babies…" Christa said.

"I know that! But… it doesn't feel that way…" Clementine said. "That's why I need to hold them… I need to because I feel like something's wrong with me…"

"Nothing's wrong with you, sweetie. It's normal that you feel that way." Christa replied.

Clementine shook her head. "No… It's not normal… It's not!"

"It is." Christa said.

"It's not! My mom loved me. She would tell me that everyday. I should be telling my girls I love them, like my parents did… but I can't." Clementine said. "That's not normal…"

Christa didn't know how to respond.

Clementine took a deep breath, laying her head against her pillow, still clutching Promise to her chest. "I'm sick, okay? I'm screw in the head."

Christa frowned at that. "Clem, you're not."

"You loved your baby, didn't you?" Clementine questioned.

"Of course I did. I still do." Christa answered.

"That's normal… I'm not…" Clementine said.

"You love your girls too, Clem." Christa said. "I know you do."

"…I don't think I know what love is anymore…" Clementine mumbled, closing her eyes and clutching tighter to her teddy bear.

* * *

Later that day while Clementine and Sarah were playing with AJ in Clementine's room, Christa decided to take the chance to voice her concerns to Carlos.

"I'm worried about her, Carlos…" Christa said. "If you had heard the things she was saying-"

"Clementine says a lot of thing I wouldn't expect to hear from a child. She's emotionally damaged. She needs help and she's not getting it…" Carlos said.

"Exactly. No one's helping her." Christa replied. "How can she get better if no one helps her?"

"How can we help her? She doesn't let us." Carlos said. "She needs someone to talk to…"

"She needs to hold her babies." Christa said.

"I don't see how holding the twins will help her mental state." Carlos said.

"She says she wants to hold them. She feels bad because she hasn't bonded with them." Christa said.

"She'll have her chance to bond with them." Carlos responded.

"And when is that?" Christa questioned.

"When I don't have to worry about Aleena taking a respiratory break. It's only been a few days. The twins' health state isn't completely stable." Carlos said.

"That doesn't mean we should keep Clementine from looking after them." Christa said. "She already has a lot of heartache. You've seen how happy she is with AJ. Maybe if we let her help with the twins it'll help ease some of the pain she's going through."

"I let her see them every morning." Carlos said. "As I stated before, I want them to be handled as little as possible. She can't hold them right now."

"How are you going to decide that she can't hold her own daughters?" Christa demanded.

"Simple. I'm the doctor…" Carlos said. "Christa, I'm not doing this to hurt her. This is what's best for the twins."

"What's best for them is to bond with their mother." Christa said. "You can't rip that away from her."

"An emotionally disturbed child is not going to be able to raise those twins. She doesn't have any idea what to do." Carlos huffed. "She won't even pump milk for them."

"She doesn't feel comfortable. We've been over this." Christa said.

"She should push aside her comfort at some point. She needs to think about what her children need." Carlos said.

"Crystal's been okay with the preemie formula." Christa pointed out.

"But she still throws up constantly. Not to mention, breastmilk has the vitamins those girls need." Carlos said.

"Clem's scared… Her body's gone through so many changes, she's still developing. Not to mention she was sexually abused numerous times, of course she's gonna be uncomfortable." Christa said.

"I would expect her to be… But her babies should be more important than her comfort…" Carlos stated. "When they infants are stable enough, she'll hold them. Until then, she'll have to wait."

"It's not fair, Carlos." Christa said. "She needs to bond with her children."

"And she will, when the right time comes. Life isn't fair." Carlos said. "I'm going to check in on Sarita and Wyatt…" Carlos said

Christa sighed. She knew this was an argument she wasn't going to win.

* * *

Wyatt laid in the quiet room, Carlos had finished checking in on him and left after telling him he should "take it easy for a while and continue to rest".

Wyatt scoffed, he hadn't gotten rest since the incident at the church. Everything that happened weighed on his mind, it kept flashing through his head. Things were only worse when he was asleep.

He'd dream about moments before being shot, and then unable to do otherwise he would turn his back and feel that bullet all over again. Then suddenly he'd wake up again, drenched in sweat but alive.

 _Alive_ … He was alive, and unfortunately Mike wasn't. And Wyatt couldn't forgive himself for that.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a knock at the door. He groaned, forcing himself to sit up. He was careful not to put pressure on his arm, which was tucked into a makeshift sling, made by Carlos.

"Come in…" He said, fighting back a sigh.

Bonnie stepped into the room with Becca following behind her. "We came to check on you." Bonnie said.

Wyatt just sighed in response.

"Feeling any better?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm alive... but that doesn't mean much..." Wyatt mumbled.

"Don't say that, Wyatt. We're glad you're here." Bonnie said.

"Why would you do something so stupid in the first place?" Becca inquired.

Bonnie looked to her with surprise, while Wyatt asked, "What do you mean?"

"Turning your back to someone who hates you? That's giving them a free blow." Becca said.

Wyatt sighed again. "I don't know... I guess I wanted to believe we could move pass everything that happened."

"You should know before don't forgive and forget. If you wrong someone you better prepare for a fight, or a bullet..." Becca said.

"Eddie knew what happened wasn't my fault. Or at least I thought he knew." Wyatt said. "Anyway, that psycho wouldn't have been chasing us if Eddie hadn't fired shots at him."

"I guess it doesn't matter now... He's dead." Bonnie said.

"Yeah... but he's not the only one... Mike's dead too. For a situation between me and Eddie. That blood is on my hands." Wyatt huffed.

"Eddie pulled the trigger. Not you." Bonnie said.

"Eddie pulled the trigger because he wanted to kill me... It's my fault Mike got killed..." Wyatt replied.

"Would you knock it off?" Becca said. "I'm sick and tired of people drowning in their self-pity. If that's what you want, fine. Have a party, but I don't want to be part of it."

"This isn't self-pity." Wyatt retorted.

"Then what do you call it?" Becca asked.

"A man died because of me, Becca. My best friend, tried to kill me." Wyatt said.

"Your former best friend." Becca corrected. "People die. It happens all the time. And sometimes, there's nothing you can do to prevent it. So why get yourself worked about something you can't change?"

"Becca…" Bonnie said.

"It was bound to happen eventually. Everyone dies… It happened to Shel, its gonna happen to all of us." Becca said. "Not everyone is lucky like Clem."

"Clem's not lucky. After everything she's been through, you would think that kid was cursed." Wyatt scoffed.

"You don't know how many times I've heard her talk about how everything's her fault, or say she wishes she was dead. Hearing her say that… it's not easy. Believe it or not, I actually consider her to be my friend. I wouldn't want her or anyone I care about to die. And I hate when people talk like no one cares about them!" Becca said. "Life is already short, people should try to live as long as they can."

"Well I'm sorry for pissing you off, Becca… But… It's not easy having a friend shoot you in the damn back!" Wyatt replied with a scoff.

"Eddie stopped being your friend that day you drove off… You should've never turned your back to him in the first place." Becca said.

Wyatt frowned. He knew she had a point. "I… need to be alone."

"Fine… Do what you want." Becca turned on her heels and left the room.

Bonnie however stayed. "Wyatt, if you need to talk… I'm here for you."

"I'm fine, Bonnie…." Wyatt said.

"But-"

Wyatt raised his uninjured hand to stop her. "I'm fine…"

Bonnie sighed and left as well.

Wyatt laid back down, staring blankly to his ceiling.

* * *

"You going to see the twins?" Jane asked as she noticed Luke heading for the door.

"Yeah…" Luke said. "Trying to help out as much as I can…"

"Right…" Jane said. "Can I… talk to you?"

Luke nodded. "Sure. What about?"

"I've… been having these nightmares… About the baby…" Jane mumbled. "About our baby…"

Luke frowned at that.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind… I don't know what to do…" Jane said.

"I… don't know what to say to be honest." Luke sighed.

Jane was silent for a moment before crossing her arms and saying, "You know what I've noticed…

"What?"

"You're not good in these situations." Jane said.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"You can't deal with harsh reality, so you focus on anything else." Jane said. "Anytime things get hard, you distract yourself."

"That's not true." Luke argued.

"It is." Jane said.

"It's not." Luke said a bit firmer. "Jane, this is my reality… Those little girls, I want to be there for them…"

"You don't even know if they're yours." Jane said. "And even if they are, those kids are the result of a tragedy. Are you forgetting you were forced to sleep with a child?"

"Of course not! I remember what happened everyday!" Luke exclaimed. "I'll never be able to forget what happened…"

"Then how can you look at the twins and not feel… wrong?" Jane asked.

"You think I should feel wrong being around babies?" Luke asked.

"Those babies." Jane said. "They came from a horrible experience."

"You're right. They did. But they haven't done anything wrong." Luke said. "This isn't about the twins. This isn't about what happened at Howes. This is about the baby we loss. You're jealous."

"Wh-What?"

"That's it, right?" Luke asked.

"Why would I be jealous?" Jane quickly asked.

Luke didn't answer.

"I'm not jealous." Jane said.

"But you are." Luke said. "Look, Jane… I think you should talk to Christa. She might be able to help you."

"I don't need help." Jane claimed.

"But this isn't right. You can't be mad at Clem and the twins. They're kids. They did nothing wrong." Luke said.

"Luke, I'm not upset!" Jane snapped before sighing. "Just go…"

"Jane…"

"Go! I need to be alone." Jane said.

Luke just nodded before walking away.

* * *

"Why isn't she waking up?" Kenny demanded as he looked to Sarita's unconscious form.

"There could be several reasons." Carlos said. "Her arm was just amputated a few days ago. Not to mention, I've been giving her strong dosages of pain medication. Keep in mind, I may be a doctor, but we're not in a hospital… We don't have access to all the equipment…"

"Well, how much longer is she gonna be out, doc?" Kenny asked.

"I can't answer that question." Carlos said. "This isn't like a broken bone… Once she wakes up, she'll have a lot of adapting to do… She needs time."

"It's been three days… I'm worried about her." Kenny said.

"I understand that." Carlos said. "Fortunately, there's no fever, and no sign of infection. And as far as I can tell the bite didn't get to cause any negative effects to accumulate. However, she loss a lot blood, and she has shown signs of shock."

"So what do we do? And give me the English translation, alright?" Kenny said.

Carlos huffed at that. "There's nothing you can do, but wait. Like I said, she needs time… Either she'll wake up… or she won't."

"Don't say that…" Kenny took Sarita's hand. "She's gonna wake up… I know she will."

"I can't blame you for being optimistic, but you should also be realistic…" Carlos said.

Kenny ignored him.

"I'll leave you alone." Carlos said as he turned to leave.

"I should check on AJ…" Kenny suddenly said.

"He's been okay." Carlos said. "Christa keeps a close eye on him. Clementine's been happy to have him around."

"I'm sure… She's a natural with that kid…" Kenny said. "I should go see her too."

"Are you sure…?" Carlos asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kenny questioned back.

Carlos didn't answer, but Kenny noticed the doctor's gaze drift to Sarita.

"It's not her fault." Kenny said quickly. "And I don't blame Clem for it…"

"Then why didn't you come before?" Carlos asked.

"I wanted to stay with Sarita. I couldn't just leave her…" Kenny said. "And Clem… I didn't want to see that little girl have a seizure. Or a heart attack, or whatever the hell else she's been having. It's hard seeing her in pain…"

"Yet, you want to see her now?" Carlos raised a brow.

"She's better, isn't she? The medicine's been helping, right?" Kenny asked.

"It's helped in a major way, but that doesn't mean she's better. She has a long road to recovery." Carlos said.

"I want to see her." Kenny said. "Lee wouldn't be too happy if I just sat around why Clem needed me."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carlos asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kenny inquired.

"I don't want to put any more stress on her." Carlos said honestly.

"I'm not gonna stress her out! I've known that kid since she was eight. I want to see her!" Kenny snapped.

"I'm thinking in the child's wellbeing. She doesn't need any more stress." Carlos said.

"I don't plan on putting any stress on her. I just wanna see that she's okay." Kenny said. "Any you're not gonna stop me."

Carlos huffed as Kenny got to his feet.

"You just stay with Sarita..." Kenny said.

Carlos wanted to protest, but Kenny left the room before he could speak. Carlos just hoped he wouldn't say anything stupid around Clementine…

* * *

When Luke and Christa heard a knock at the door they figured it was Carlos. However, when Christa opened the door she wasn't expecting to see Kenny.

"Oh... Hey, Kenny." Christa said.

"I uh, came to check in on AJ. And Clementine." Kenny said.

Christa was a bit surprised but allowed him into the house.

"How are the twins?" Kenny asked as he looked to the bassinet they were resting in.

"They're good. They've been eating better. And Aleena's not taking any respiratory breaks." Christa said.

"That's good. I'm glad they're okay…" Kenny said.

"Aren't we all." Christa said. "Is Sarita doing any better?"

"Carlos said… she just needs time." Kenny said. "She's gonna be alright."

"I hope so…" Christa said.

"Getting used to taking care of the twins?" Kenny asked Luke.

"Trying to, at least." Luke said. "I'm not as nervous as I was to pick them up."

"That's good. As long as you support their heads and stuff, they'll be fine." Kenny said. "I was… the same way with Duck… He wasn't as small as them, but I was always scared I would hurt him. Katjaa would always say I was working myself up over nothing, but I couldn't help it."

"Then you should've seen Omid. He would freak out about the smallest things when I was pregnant." Christa said before sighing.

The mood in the room had quickly changed. Noticing this, Kenny cleared his throat. "So where's Clem and Alvie."

"In Clem's room. You can go ahead in." Christa said.

Kenny nodded and headed to the girl's bedroom.

"Do you think Becca will come back today?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know." Sarah replied. "I think she's sad about Wyatt…"

"But he's okay…" Clementine said. "Right?"

"Yeah, but he almost died. It's a scary thing…" Sarah said.

"…Yeah, you're right…" Clementine said. "…Can I hold little Goofball?"

"Sure." Sarah said. "Come on AJ. Let's go to Clem."

The teen picked the baby up and brought him over to Clementine. She placed AJ onto Clementine's bed.

"He's so cute." Clementine said.

"Yeah, he is. Why do you call him goofball?" Sarah asked.

"I just like that nickname for him." Clementine said as AJ cooed at her.

"I think he likes it too." Kenny said as he entered the room.

The girls looked towards him.

"Kenny?" Clementine was surprised to see him.

"Hey…" Kenny said. "How are you feeling, Clem?"

"I'm…okay…" Clementine said. "How's Sarita…?"

"She hasn't woken up yet." Kenny answered.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry about Sarita…" Clementine said.

"That's nice… But you don't have to apologize. It sure as hell ain't gonna make me or Sarita feel any better." Kenny grumbled without thinking.

Clementine frowned at that. Sarah lowered her gaze as well.

"Shit… I didn't mean that. I just… me and my big mouth." Kenny said.

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean it…" Clementine said.

"How's your medicine been helping you?" Kenny asked.

"Carlos says it works. I didn't know what was wrong with me… But I haven't had any more seizures." Clementine said. "The first day I took the medicine I didn't feel too good… but now the symptoms aren't as bad now…"

"That's good." Kenny said. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Yeah, but I'm still bleeding…" Clementine said.

"Bleeding? Where?" Kenny asked.

"Down there… Carlos says it's called lochia and that it's normal. He said it'll stop in a few days. Sometimes I feel some… "afterpains", and it hurts to sit in one spot for too long, but that all." Clementine said.

"Yeah… Well, Carlos and Christa will know what's normal better than I do." Kenny said. "So if you're confused about something, just ask one of them."

"Okay…" Clementine said. "…I hope Sarita feels better too…"

"She will… She'll feel better soon." Kenny said.

"Are you going to take AJ?" Clementine asked.

"I should. Christa could use a break." Kenny said.

"I can look after him." Clementine said.

"You're not gonna be able to do much from the bed." Kenny said, with a slight chuckle. "But thanks for the offer."

"I can try…" Clementine said. "Sarah can help me."

"Yeah!" Sarah agreed. "We're good at looking after him."

"I bet you are. But what about the twins?" Kenny asked.

"I check on them every morning…. I feel worried about them a lot… They're so… little." Clementine muttered.

"They may be little, but you're still they're mother. Which means they're tough." Kenny said.

Clementine gave a small smile. "Thanks, Kenny."

"I uh, don't plan on staying too long, I just wanted to check in." Kenny said.

"You're leaving?" Clementine asked.

"I don't want to leave Sarita for too long." Kenny said. "Why? You want me to stay."

"You've only been here for a bit." Clementine replied.

"I know, darlin'." Kenny said.

And I haven't seen you… I thought you might be mad at me." Clementine said. "About Sarita…"

"Of course not…" Kenny said. "Nothing that happened is your fault."

"I feel like it is." Clementine said.

"It's not. Don't you go blaming yourself." Kenny said.

Clementine didn't respond.

"I should… probably get going…" Kenny said. "Thanks for look after AJ."

"I like looking after him. He makes me feel calm." Clementine said.

"I feel the same way." Kenny said as he picked AJ up.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Clementine asked.

"Of course, Clem." Kenny said.

"Thank you." The little girl said.

Kenny nodded and left the room.

"That wasn't a long visit. You're leaving already?" Luke asked.

"I don't want to say anything stupid. Carlos didn't want me coming over because he thought I'd stress Clem out… I don't want to prove him right." Kenny sighed.

"I'm sure she's happy to see you." Christa said.

"Yeah, well… I'll come back tomorrow. Maybe play some card games or something with her." Kenny said.

"You're taking AJ?" Christa asked as she looked to the baby in his arms.

"Yeah. You deserve a break. Or as much of a break as you can get." Kenny said.

"You sure? I mean, you've been worried about Sarita. I understand." Christa said. "I don't mind looking after him."

"I'm sure. We'll be fine." Kenny said.

"Alright… If you need any help, just let me know." Christa said.

"Will do…" Kenny said. "Thanks…"

Christa nodded as Kenny headed for the door.

It wasn't long before Carlos returned and the day proceeded as normal.

Part of Christa wish she had stopped Kenny from taking AJ. He was already worried about Sarita, and taking care of a baby was a lot of work, yet at the same time she knew how much AJ helped to kept Kenny calm. Christa just hoped Kenny would really be fine.

* * *

"Bonnie?"

Bonnie jumped at the sudden call of her name. It was pretty late, she had expected Becca to be asleep by now.

"What are you doing?" Becca asked.

"Becca, I thought you were asleep." Bonnie said.

"I couldn't. I'm restless. Got a lot on my mind." Becca said.

"Like what?"

"You know..." Becca said.

"Shel?" Bonnie asked

"Yeah..." Becca confirmed.

"Do you wanna talk…?" Bonnie asked in a gentle voice.

"We've talked a bunch of times. It doesn't help." Becca said. "I know she's been dead for months, but sometimes… I just can't stop missing her…"

"It's okay to miss her… I miss a lot of people."

"I'm sure Mike's one of them." Becca said.

"He was a good guy, Becca." Bonnie said.

"I'm sure he was good to you in a lot of ways." Becca muttered.

"Becca, stop it…" Bonnie said. "I do miss him… I miss a lot of people. We're all missing people."

"So what are you up to? Gonna drown all your worries away with alcohol?" Becca asked, noticing the bottle of liquor in the woman's hand.

"No… I'm not." Bonnie said.

"Then what's the bottle for?" Becca asked.

"I thought Wyatt could use a drink." Bonnie said.

Becca raised a brow. "The whole bottle?"

"He could share it with Vince, maybe Russell, Jane." Bonnie said. "Luke's been so focused on the babies, I doubt he'll be drinking... But sometimes alcohol helps numb the pain... at least for a bit."

"If it helps so much give me a bottle." Becca said.

"Becca, no way. You're a kid." Bonnie said.

"Oh come on. I've been through worse. Drinking is nothing."

"You don't need a drink, Becca..." Bonnie said.

"But you guys do? That's unfair." Becca scoffed.

"A sip won't hurt, but I ain't giving you a whole bottle." Bonnie said.

"A sip won't do anything. At least give me half a bottle." Becca asked.

"Shel would kill me. Maybe when you're older, okay?" Bonnie said.

"Shel's gone."

"But you know she wouldn't want you drinking." Bonnie said.

Becca rolled her eyes at that. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."

Bonnie frowned and placed the bottle on the table. She hated to feel like the bad guy, she just wanted to make some good decisions for once…

* * *

It was well past midnight when Clementine shot up from a nightmare. Her heart was pounding and she realized with dread that she was in the dark. The only thing she could think was that she was trapped in that truck again. Trapped in the darkness with no way out.

The girl screamed. She screamed and screamed until she heard people rushing towards her room.

"Clementine, are you okay?" Christa asked.

"What happened?" Carlos asked.

The child was too hysterical to answer, instead she begged not to be hurt.

Christa quickly lit a candle and made her way to the girl's bedside. Finally, Clementine's screams died down.

"It's okay, Clem… You're safe here." Christa said.

Clementine didn't answer, she was too shaken up. she laid back on the bed.

Christa placed the lit candle on the dresser and took a seat on the little girl's bed. "It's alright… Would you like me to stay with you?"

"P-Please…"

"Alright, Clem." Christa said.

Carlos stayed by the door for a moment. "You good here?"

"Yeah. You can go back to bed. I'll stay with her." Christa said.

Carlos nodded and walked from the room.

Christa pulled the blanket back over Clementine. "I'm not going anyway… I promise…" So much for getting a night full of sleep.

* * *

"Dad?" Sarah stepped out of a bedroom and into the living room where Carlos was about to lay on the couch.

"Sarah, did Clem wake you?" Carlos asked.

"No… I'm just worried about her…" Sarah said. "She wasn't so scared when we first met her…"

"The people who hurt her made her scared." Carlos replied.

"Will she ever be… better?" Sarah asked.

"Maybe in time… We just got to be patient." Carlos said.

"Okay…" Sarah said. "I can't imagine going through all the stuff Clementine has… And she doesn't even have her parents to make her feel better."

"But she doesn't have to deal with everything alone. We're here for her." Carlos said.

"And we're family… Right?" Sarah asked.

"…Right…" Carlos said. "Now, head back to sleep, Sarah."

"Okay, dad." Sarah turned and walked back to the bedroom to lay down. She wished Clementine would feel better soon.

* * *

Clementine felt as if her children were on a daily schedule. Clementine would wake up in the morning and soon after she would hear her twins cry. She felt bad that she couldn't hold them, she couldn't comfort them.

She didn't even see them that morning, she couldn't handle just sitting in her wheelchair and watching them cry, knowing she wouldn't be allowed to hold them. She was too weak and sick to walk. But with a fractured tailbone, it hurt to sit around all day.

She felt pathetic. She didn't feel like a mother, how could she if she wasn't allowed to be one?

The mixture of medication and thoughts of her daughters swirled through her system.

Sometimes it scared her to see how small they were.

Clementine sighed and looked over to the breast pump that she had yet to use. She wanted to be able to do something for her kids… Maybe if she pumped, Carlos would let her hold them.

When Christa came into the room to check on her, Clementine asked the woman to show her how to do it.

Christa was surprised but agreed.

It had been one of the most uncomfortable experiences in her life. Clementine didn't manage to pump anything. She felt a bit disappointed. "Why didn't it work…?"

"It doesn't always work immediately. Oxytocin, is a hormone that helps release milk, but it's strongly affected by emotions, especially stress… The more relaxed you are, they easy it will be…" Christa explained. "We can try again tomorrow."

Fortunately, the twins didn't have much of an issue with the preemie formula, but Clementine wanted to be able to provide for her children in some way, even if it meant she had to be uncomfortable.

After placing her nightgown back on, the child asked in a small voice. "Can I hold my babies today?"

"We'll have to ask Carlos." Christa said.

Clementine already knew what his answer would be.

As expected, Carlos said no when they asked. Clementine felt like she wanted to cry. It was unfair.

When Carlos left to check on Sarita, Clementine laid in her bed, feeling upset at the doctor.

Sarah came in to check on her friend, but Clementine didn't seem to want to talk. She felt bad for the girl, but she knew her father was only trying to do what was best.

* * *

Much like the day before Kenny decided to pay Clementine a visit. Carlos stayed with Sarita, while Kenny went took AJ to see Clementine, as he promised he would. Truthfully, spending time with the kids helped him to take his mind off of the negative.

When Christa let him in the house he was surprised to see the bags under her eyes. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"That's exactly what someone wants to hear." Christa said. "Can't say it's not true though… Last night was pretty rough."

"What happened?" Kenny asked.

"Same thing that usually happens. Trying to help Clementine through her nightmares." Christa said.

"She okay?" The concern was clear in Kenny's voice.

"She's fine… Nobody really got much sleep last night… Her and Sarah are in her room." Christa said. "I'm probably gonna try to get some rest while I can… Who knows how long the twins will sleep."

"I can keep an eye on them if you want." Kenny offered.

"What about AJ? You already got him to look after." Christa said.

"You looked after all the kids for days. The least I can do is help out now." Kenny said.

"I appreciate it, Kenny." Christa replied.

"Don't mention it…" Kenny said.

* * *

"Your dad's a bully…" Clementine mumbled.

"He is not." Sarah disagreed.

"Yes he is." Clementine huffed. "He thinks he can tell me what to do with my kids. He's annoying."

"He's just trying to help. He's a doctor. He knows about this stuff." Sarah said.

"He's a doctor, not a psychic. He doesn't know what's gonna happen." Clementine said. "They're my kids. Not his. I have the right to hold them."

"Maybe he'll let you soon." Sarah said.

"I doubt it." Clementine huffed. "I just wish he'd mind his own damn business…"

Sarah frowned at that. "He just wants to help…"

"Well I don't want his help! I just want my kids!" Clementine said, causing Sarah to flinch.

It wasn't long before Kenny stepped into the room. "Hey there, girls. I brought someone to see you."

Sarah and Clementine both smiled at the baby.

"Hey Goofball…" Clementine said.

Kenny always loved how the child's eyes would just brighten whenever she saw AJ.

The baby cooed in his arms, reaching out towards Clementine.

Kenny handed the child over to the girl.

As Clementine held him, her smile quickly faded into a frown. Kenny was surprised by the child's sudden glum mood. "What's the matter, darlin'?"

"They don't let me hold my babies." Clementine said.

"Why not?" Kenny said.

"Carlos says I can't! I hate him!" Clementine exclaimed.

Sarah gasped at that.

"You don't hate him, hon…" Kenny said.

"He's so mean…" The little girl said. "It's not fair…"

"I know Carlos can be an asshole… But I think he thinks he's doing what's best." Kenny said.

"It's not best. I just want to hold them." Clementine said. "I haven't even got to hold them since they were born…"

"Alright then." Kenny said, taking AJ from the girl and handing him to Sarah.

Clementine's eyes widened. "What?"

"They're your kids. You have the right to hold them." Kenny said.

"R-Really?" Clementine asked.

"Really." Kenny said. "Keep an eye on Alvie, alright, Sarah?"

Sarah nodded.

Kenny helped Clementine from her bed and into her wheelchair. He pushed the chair out of the room and into the living room.

Kenny made his way over to the bassinet and picked up Crystal.

"What are you doing? Carlos said he doesn't want anyone holding them." Christa said as she noticed him holding the baby.

"Who cares what he says. She has the right to hold her damn kids." Kenny replied.

Christa huffed. "You just don't listen…"

"Relax, they're fine." Kenny said.

Christa was too tired to put up an argument. Having been up all night due to Clementine's night terrors, she was exhausted. "You've been a father, so I know you know how to handle a baby, but keep in mind how fragile those two are."

"Yeah, I know… They'll be fine." Kenny said as he rocked the infant a bit. He stepped closer to Clementine. "…This is Crystal, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Clementine felt a bit nervous. She was about to hold her daughter for the first time.

"She looks just like her mama." Kenny slowly handed the baby to her. "Here, don't be scared. Just support her head, darlin'."

Clementine did as he said, gently supporting the baby's frail head. "She's so tiny..."

"I know..." Kenny said.

Crystal stirred a bit in her mother's arm.

"Shhh... Mommy's here... mommy has you..." Clementine muttered.

"You're such a natural..." Kenny said.

"I'm nervous..." Clementine admit. "I don't want to hurt her..."

"You're not gonna hurt her. Don't worry." Kenny assured her. "You're doing fine."

Clementine felt tears come to her eyes as she held the infant.

Christa watched, feeling her heart clench. This is what Clementine needed. She just wanted to hold her baby.

* * *

"I'm surprised you're not with the twins today." Jane said as she took a seat next to Luke on the couch.

"I was over there until late last night. I'm gonna go check in later on." Luke said.

"…How's Clem been holding up?" Jane asked.

"She's alright. Better than she was." Luke said.

"That's good." Jane said.

"Yeah."

"I've… been thinking about what you said… that I should talk to Christa…" Jane said. "I decided I will."

"It might help…" Luke said.

"Plus I wanted to check in on Clem anyway." Jane said.

"When do you plan to go over there?" Luke asked.

"Now…. Those nightmares, they're really getting to me." Jane said.

"I know how you feel." Luke said. "Hopefully talking to Christa will help."

"I hope so…"

* * *

"How about you try to hold Aleena now?" Kenny suggested after Clementine had held Crystal for a while.

"I don't know if I can..." Clementine said.

"It'll be fine." Kenny said.

"But she has that… breathing thing." Clementine said, looking nervous.

"You won't hurt her, Clem... You can hold her, just like you're holding Crystal." Christa said.

Clementine looked over to Christa with a confused expression. "But... but I thought you didn't want me to hold her..."

"It's not that I didn't want you to..." Christa said.

"Then what..." Clementine asked.

Christa just shook her head. "You can hold her, sweetie. Go ahead."

"O-Okay..." Clementine said.

Kenny took Crystal and placed the sleeping baby back in the bassinet. He then picked up Aleena.

Clementine was hesitant, but Kenny gently placed Aleena in her arms.

"See. You're doing good." Kenny said.

"Yeah... You are." Christa agreed.

Clementine gave a smile at that.

Even though she didn't know much of how to properly care for the twins yet, Clementine was finally bonding with her children.

Christa knew that was what she needed.

* * *

Jane stepped outside and started toward Clementine's home. At the same time Bonnie exit her house, when she caught sight of Jane she made her way over.

"Jane. Just the person I wanted to see." Bonnie offered her a smile.

Jane raised a brow. "You wanted to see me?"

"I have some bottles of rum left. I figure maybe you and Luke might want to have a few drinks with us tonight." Bonnie said.

"Who is us?" Jane asked.

"Wyatt, Vince, maybe Russell." Bonnie said. "I know things have been tough lately… This could take some of the edge off."

"I'll think about it." Jane said.

"Alright. I mean, it's warm. We can sit outside and have a couple of drinks. Forget about some of the stress." Bonnie said.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea…" Jane said.

"Really? So see you then?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you." Jane agreed.

* * *

With the twins fast asleep and trusting that Kenny would keep an eye on the kids, Christa decided to lay down herself and try to rest for a while.

All was going well until there was a knock on the door.

Clementine flinched. She was worried that was Carlos, going to yell at her for holding the twins.

"It's alright, Clem... Just sit tight." Kenny said.

Kenny went to answer the door.

When he opened it, he came face to face with Jane.

"Hey..." Jane said.

"What are you doing here?" Kenny asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Jane said.

Kenny didn't respond.

"I came to see, Clem." Jane said.

"She doesn't need any visitors right now." Kenny grumbled.

"Then why are you here?" Jane questioned.

"Clementine's my family. I've known her since she was eight. I have every right to see her." Kenny said.

"I just figured you'd be with Sarita… I mean, who knows how much time she has left?" Jane shrugged.

Kenny shot her a glare, "What was that?"

"She hasn't woken up, has she? How do you know she's going to?" Jane asked.

"She will." Kenny said.

"Just because you want something to work out a certain way, doesn't mean it will. If I were you I'd spend as much time with her as I could." Jane said.

Kenny was silent for a moment before turning away. He walked into the house pass Clementine.

"Kenny?" Clementine called, but got no response.

Kenny walked into Clementine's bedroom where Sarah was still playing with AJ. "Sorry to cut this playdate short, but Alvie and I gotta go."

"Already?" Sarah asked.

"We'll be back…" Kenny picked up AJ. "Maybe tomorrow…" _Or not…_

"Okay…" Sarah said.

Kenny walked out the room and Clementine frowned as he headed towards the door.

"You're leaving?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, Clem." Kenny said to the girl.

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise…" Kenny walked out the door, practically shoving pass Jane. Jane watches him leave then steps into the house.

"Hey, Clem." Jane greets the child.

"…Hey…" Clementine said.

"How are you?" Jane asked.

"I'm okay…" Clementine mumbled.

"What's that one's name?" Jane motioned to the baby Clementine was holding.

"This is Aleena. Crystal's in the cradle…" Clementine said.

"…How's it feel?" Jane suddenly questioned.

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Being a mother." Jane said.

"I... I don't know how to answer that." Clementine said. "It's kind of weird... But kind of nice…"

"…Do you think you made the right choice by having them?" Jane asked her.

"I didn't want them to die." Clementine said. "I'm sure this is the right choice."

"But look at them. Look at Aleena. She can't breathe, they can barely eat. Is that what you want for them. You want them to suffer?" Jane asked.

"Of course not!" Clementine said. "I... I wanted them to be healthy and to have a good life."

"A good life, in this world. You know that's not possible, Clem." Jane said.

"Why not?"

"Look around you. You think they're safe in a world full of walkers. A world where people try to kill you or hurt you at every turn?" Jane asked.

"I can protect them." Clementine replied.

"You can't protect everyone, Clementine. I know it's hard to hear, but it's the truth." Jane said.

Clementine lowered her head. A moment passed before she suddenly asked, "Do you hate me, Jane?"

"Why would I hate you?" Jane asked.

"You went to look for me... And you got hurt... that's how your baby died, right?" Clementine said. "I'm so sorry..."

Jane didn't answer.

"I'm really sorry, Jane... I-"

"What are you sorry for?" Jane asked.

"That you lost your baby." Clementine said.

"Don't be..." Jane said. "I made my choice. It's not your fault…"

"But aren't you sad?" Clementine asked.

"Do you think I am?" Jane asked back.

Clementine nodded. "Are you?"

Jane just shrugged in response.

Clementine gave her a confused look.

"Anyway, I'm sorry too." Jane said.

"For what?"

"I feel sorry for you." Jane said.

"For me...?" Clementine asked.

Jane didn't answer, instead she asked, "When's your birthday, Clem?"

"In October, why?"

"What month are we in?" Jane asked the girl.

"Carlos says it's July..." The child answered.

"So you'll be twelve in October?" Jane questioned.

"Yeah." Clementine nodded.

"It must be tough..."

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Being a mother before you've even turned twelve." Jane said. "What would your parents think?"

"My p-parents...?" Clementine stammered.

"Did you ever wonder how they would feel about their eleven-year-old having babies?" Jane asked.

"I... I have... I think they'd be sad, but I hope they're proud of me." Clementine said.

"Do you really think they would be proud about that?" Jane asked.

Clementine felt hurt by those word. "No... But... I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. And I'd like to think choosing to have my kids wasn't one of them.

"Look, Clem... You gotta think about what's best for the twins now..." Jane said. "You can't just think about what you want for them…"

"What's that?" Clementine asked. "You want me to kill my babies?"

"It's not too late to give them the easy way out. Think about it, do you really want to let them grow up in all this...?" Jane asked.

Clementine's eyes grew wide at that. "There is no easy way! Don't be crazy!"

"You gotta ask yourself, which is really love, keeping them alive for you, or letting them go?" Jane said.

"I'll never let them go! Never!" Clementine snapped.

Christa sat up from the couch, startled by the sudden yelling. "Clem? What's going on?" When she spotted Jane, Christa frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pay Clem a visit." Jane shrugged. "Was just leaving."

Christa quickly got up and opened the door to let the other woman out. She then walked back to Clementine, looking worried.

"What did she say to you?" Christa asked.

Clementine refused to respond.

* * *

Anxious to check in on Sarita, Kenny returned to the church to find Carlos checking the supplies.

"How's Sarita?" Kenny asked.

"Same as she was before you left." Carlos said. "I'm surprised you stayed longer than yesterday."

"I wanted to check in on Clem…" Kenny said. "But it's hard not to worry about Sarita…"

"Understandable… But she's doing okay so far." Carlos said.

"But she hasn't woken up…" Kenny said.

"Like I said before, she needs time…" Carlos said.

Kenny sighed at that. He gently rocked AJ in his arms, as the baby helped to calm his nerves a bit. "Clem's pretty pissed at you."

"I'm not surprised. You know, I've never met a child as stubborn as Clementine." Carlos suddenly said.

"Why do you say that? Because she wants to hold her kids?" Kenny asked.

"I've explained to her many times why she can't hold them, yet she asks everyday." Carlos said.

"That's because she's their mother. Of course she'd want to hold her babies. That's why I let her." Kenny said.

"What?"

Kenny didn't answer as he walked towards the infirmary with AJ in his arms.

Carlos huffed and quickly turned to leave the church.

* * *

When Carlos returned to Clementine's house he was surprised to see the child sitting her wheelchair, eyes wide as she clung to Aleena. The baby was crying as Christa tried to convince Clementine to let her take the infant.

"What's going on?" Carlos questioned.

Christa looked to the doctor. "Jane… must've said something to her."

"What did she say?"

Christa shook her head with a frown. "I don't know…"

"Why was Jane here in the first place?" Carlos asked.

"To torment my girl, obviously." Christa huffed then looked back to Clementine. "Sweetie, can I please hold the baby?"

"No! She wants her mommy! She needs to stay with me!" Clementine exclaimed.

Aleena only started crying more.

"This is ridiculous. Clearly talking isn't doing any good." Carlos said.

"Then what should we do?" Christa asked the doctor. "What's your wise idea?"

Carlos simply walked forward and attempted to pry the baby from Clementine's arms.

"NO! She's my daughter, not yours!" Clementine yelled at him.

Carlos quickly backed off, not wanting to risk hurting Aleena.

"Talking is our option… She's scared. We need to calm her down…" Christa said to Carlos. "Now, Clem… Listen to me, you can hold her later..." Christa said.

"Liar! Carlos doesn't want me to hold her. They're my babies, I won't let you take them!" Clementine snapped.

Crystal was now crying from the bassinet as well.

"We're just trying to help you… I promise you can hold her later." Christa said. "Listen, sweetie. They're crying because they want you to calm down. Can you calm down for them?"

Clementine took a breath and slowly nodded. She rocked Aleena. "It's okay, baby. Mommy doesn't mean to scare you…"

"I think she's hungry. How about you let us feed them, then you can hold them later on." Christa said.

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise, Clem." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine hesitantly allowed her to take Aleena, while Carlos went to pick up Crystal.

"I want to feed Crystal." Clementine said. "I don't want you to do it…"

Christa looked to Carlos, silently telling him to do as the child said.

The doctor, to their surprise agreed. "Okay."

He gently handed Crystal to the child, and explained to her how to feed the baby. Clementine did as he told.

As Carlos helped Clementine bottle feed Crystal, he realized Christa was right. Clementine needed to bond with her children. They couldn't keep her from doing that anymore.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Luke asked as Jane returned.

"I didn't talk to her." Jane said.

"Why not?"

"Something came up." Jane shrugged. "Anyway, Bonnie invited us to go drinking."

"I can't. I'm supposed to go see the twins." Luke said.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Jane said. "Not tonight anyway…"

"What? Why?" Luke asked.

"Clem… doesn't want any visitors right now…" Jane said.

"But I go over there everyday. Did something happen?" Luke asked her.

"I don't know… Just give her some time…" Jane said.

Luke sighed but nodded. He didn't want to make things worse if Clementine was upset.

"Why don't you have a few drinks?" Jane said.

"I shouldn't…" Luke was reluctant.

"Remember that first day on the deck, when you said you wanted to forget for a little while? Do that now? I'm sure you need a drink as much as I do…" Jane said.

Luke was hesitant, but gave in. "Alright..."

* * *

Becca was a bit surprised to see Bonnie heading towards the door with three bottles of rum. Curious the teen asked, "Bonnie, where are you going?"

"Oh, a couple of us are gonna have a few drinks tonight." Bonnie said.

"Am I invited?" Becca asked.

"If you wanna watch." Bonnie joked.

"Where's the fun in that?" Becca huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'm not letting you drink, Becca. You're just a kid." Bonnie said.

"I'm sixteen. One drink isn't gonna kill me." Becca said.

"Think about how Shel would feel." Bonnie said.

"Why do you keep bringing up Shel? Shel's dead, she's not coming back!" Becca said.

"The answer's still no." Bonnie said. "I've made a lot of mistakes in the past, I wanna turn another check now."

Becca sighed. "Fine… I'll just stay here then."

"Suit yourself." Bonnie said. "You just be good while I'm gone."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

It wasn't long before several of the adults had gathered in a field and began passing around a few bottles.

"You sure you don't want none, Russ?" Vince asked as he offered him the bottle of rum.

"I'm good, man. I don't drink that shit." Russell refused. "I just figured it be nice to hang outside for a while."

"I can agree with that." Luke said.

"I'm surprised you showed up, man. Figured you'd be with the twins." Wyatt said.

"Jane said, Clem wasn't feeling up for company. I figured I'd just check in tomorrow." Luke said.

"Can't blame the kid. She's been through hell." Vince said.

"Yeah, but she's a fighter. She'll be alright." Luke said.

Jane felt this was what she needed, a drink to forget some of the stress. At least, that's what she thought until Bonnie spoke.

"We should have a toast." Bonnie said.

"There's nothing to toast to…" Wyatt huffed.

"We gotta come up with something. We're supposed to forget about that bad. Focus on the good." Bonnie said.

"Like what?" Russell asked.

"I don't know… What about the twins. We can toast to them." Bonnie suggested.

"Sure, why not." Wyatt shrugged.

"Alright… A toast, to Luke becoming a daddy." Bonnie said.

Jane quickly stood up as the others sent her a confused look.

"You okay?" Luke asked her.

"Yeah… I'm just gonna turn in for the night. I'm tired." Jane walked off before anyone could speak another word.

* * *

The night had gone by slowly, Jane found herself tossing and turning all night. Each time she would fall asleep, she would wake back up. She was tortured with nightmares of her loss baby. Nightmares where a voice told her she killed her own child.

Jane took a deep breathe. She needed someone to talk to and if anyone could help her it was Christa.

It was now early in the morning, but Jane felt like she was going to lose her mind. She need to talk to Christa, she needed to know how the woman coped.

She got up and made her way to the house Christa and Clementine shared and knocked at the door.

Moments passed before Christa opened it and greeted her with a "What do you want?"

"I… I wanted to talk." Jane said.

"What did you say to my girl?" Christa inquired.

"I didn't say anything…" Jane claimed.

"Then why was she so shaken up? Why was she so clingy to the twins? Why did she panic every time we got too close to her? What did you say to her?" Christa asked in a cold tone.

Jane didn't respond.

"Just get out of here. Now." Christa said. "I want you to stay away from her."

"Wait… I really need to talk. Please… I didn't know who else to go to." Jane pleaded.

Christa was taken aback by the pleading tone Jane spoke in. "What about?"

"I've been having these nightmares… about the miscarriage." Jane said.

"I don't know what how to help you." Christa started to shut the door.

Jane however, stopped her. "You had a still birth, didn't you?"

Christa froze. "H-How…?

"Luke told me." Jane admitted.

Christa sighed. "It was a little girl… Her name was Genevieve…"

"That must've been hard…" Jane said.

"It was… I was depressed for a long time. I lost the baby right after I lost my husband, Omid." Christa said. "I had such crippling depression that Clem was paying the price for it. I guess I neglected her a lot… I was just focused on teaching her how to survive, nothing else…"

"So how'd you get pass that?" Jane asked.

"After Clem and I got separated all I wanted to do was find her. She was all I had left. At first, I convinced myself she was dead, but the more time we spent apart the more I realized that I needed to break out of my depression if I even had the chance of finding her…" Christa said.

"That's easier said than done." Jane sighed.

"Right… It takes time. It's not easy to move pass something like that." Christa told her.

"But you did." Jane said.

"Only because I had to focus on my other responsibilities. I had a little girl who needed me. And frankly, I needed her too." Christa said.

"Kenny lost a kid too… but it's pretty obvious that he's missing some of his marbles. How do you keep it together?" Jane asked.

"The past is your present if you carry it with you. I try not to focus on it." Christa said. "There are days when I think a lot about Omid and Gen… There's even times when I feel like there's no point in life, but I'm not the type of person to just give up… We've all been through a lot, but people cope with things in different ways."

"So… what should I do about the nightmares?" Jane asked.

"You can't just shrug off the loss… It takes time, you're grieving. The most important thing is to remind yourself it's not your fault. Things like this happen… And you're not to blame for it." Christa said.

It wasn't her fault, but part of her felt to blame. Still, Jane nodded. "Yeah… You're right."

* * *

Kenny's eyes open from where he laid on the church pew. AJ was fast asleep beside him, but Kenny felt as if something had woken him from his sleep.

He groaned and sat up, just as he heard a call of his name. Kenny paused, but when he heard the call again he quickly got to his feet. He picked AJ up and headed to the infirmary. To his surprise, Sarita was awake looking in shock at her stump.

"S-Sarita…"

Sarita said nothing for a moment. "My… My arm is… gone." She could still feel an ache from the missing part of her limb. She wanted to cry.

"But you're alive, hon… I don't know what I would've done if you left me…" Kenny said as he stepped closer to her.

Sarita frowned, a couple tears dripped from her eyes.

"Babe, don't cry… Please…" Kenny pleaded.

"W-What are we going do? What am I going to do?" Sarita sobbed.

"We'll get through this. I promise you." While still holding the sleeping AJ, Kenny freed one arm and hugged Sarita. "I promise you."

* * *

Carlos arrived at the church later that morning, Kenny who had been sitting on the pew feeding AJ a bottle looked over to him as the door opened.

"She's awake." Kenny said as soon as he saw the doctor.

"What?" Carlos asked.

"Sarita. She's awake." Kenny said.

Carlos was surprised to hear that.

"She said she wanted to be alone… She's acting… different." Kenny said.

Carlos couldn't blame her. She went through a horrible ordeal. Carlos headed into the infirmary to check on the woman.

When he asked her how she was feeling, and if she needed anything, Sarita had simply responded, "Why does it still hurt…?"

"It's called phantom limb pain… The nerves in your brain have loss signals from the missing part of your arm. As a result, those nerves send pain signals…" Carlos said.

"It feels so unreal… How could this happen…?" Sarita mumbled.

"The pain medication I've given you should help." Carlos said.

"My arm is gone…" Sarita muttered. "B-But I'm not dead… I was bit… Why aren't I dead."

"We amputated the limp before the infection could spread…" Carlos said.

"I want to be alone… Please." Sarita said, sadness filling her voice.

"I understand…" Carlos said. "Let me know if you need anything…"

Carlos left the room.

After leaving the church Carlos headed back to Clementine and Christa home and informed those present that Sarita was finally awake.

Clementine and Sarah innocently asked if they could see the woman.

"Not right now… She needs some time…." Carlos told them.

She'd need a lot of time to recover.

* * *

A week and a half went by and the group members were slowly adapting to their situations.

Sarita had, to an extent, recovered from the shock of losing her arm. She started trying to get use to only relying on one arm. It became easier as the days passed despite the aches and fatigue that she felt every so often.

Wyatt started to focus less and less so much about what happened at the church. The meet ups him and some of the other adults had every few days helped take his mind off things and the alcohol definitely helped.

Jane's nightmares came less and less as she continued to converse with Christa when the woman wasn't busy. It was nice having someone to talk to. Though she didn't always come to talk. She would make the excuse of needing to talk, but in reality, she wanted to see the twins. She found herself interested in seeing them. Yet, despite offers to hold them, she could never bring herself to.

The twins had gained half a pound each. There had been several complications with respiration and feedings, but things were getting better.

Clementine was just glad she was finally allowed to take care of them. She found it nice how much people fawned over her daughters. She also thought it was funny when Becca and Sarah asked which one of them could be the twins Godmother, though they came to an agreement when Clementine suggested them both to be the Godmothers. The only thing that left her confused was Jane's sudden interest in the twins, Clementine didn't know if she could trust the woman or not…

The group members had fallen into different routines. Still they all knew things could change so suddenly. No one was getting too comfortable.

* * *

More and more often Clementine was allowed to hold her babies, to feed them, to coddle them. The girl quickly realized motherhood was by no means easy.

The first few times she held them she was ecstatic, but it soon enough she found herself becoming frustrated. The way her daughters would scream and cry when she held them made her feel useless. Clementine felt guilty that she was unable to pump milk for them. And being confined to a wheelchair she could only do so much to tend to their needs. When they cried and she was unable to comfort or calm them the way the adults seemed to, it hurt even more. It made her feel like her own children didn't love her.

Carlos and Christa noticed the behavior changes in the child quickly. Both were aware of the child's sudden depressed behavior. They hoped that if Clementine spent more time with the twins it would get better.

So far, things hadn't gotten better. In fact, it seemed to be worse.

Clementine would have constantly night terrors, that would leave her hysterical. She became jumpy and would panic everytime she heard the twins cry. She needed to see them each time she woke up from a bad dream.

The child wanted more and more to be the one to tend to the twins needs, refusing help unless she had no choice. Carlos and Christa would allow her to do so while making sure she didn't push herself. They knew she was still in rough shape, even if she didn't seem to care.

Christa became even more concerned when Clementine one day voiced to her that she didn't think the twins loved her.

That day the girl stayed in her room and practically cried her eyes out. She would try the breast pump every hour, convinced that if she could pump milk for her girls, they would love her more. Despite Christa telling her the girls already loved her, Clementine refused to believe her.

When the end of the day came she had finally managed to pump. It wasn't much, but it was something.

She was satisfied. That satisfaction didn't last long. The twins still cried often when she held them and it seemed the two would only sleep for an hour at a time before they were up and wailing again.

They allowed her to take over with the bottle feedings but Clementine was starting to feel like the only time the girls wanted her was when they were hungry.

Christa and Carlos quickly figured out that the girl was suffering from postpartum. She started to separate herself from everyone, she became quieter and more distant.

As another two went by, Clementine felt her depression was only getting worse. She was on the verge of a breakdown. The Propranolol helped with her anxiety, as well as her kept her from having arrhythmias, but the nightmares weren't going away.

Clementine laid on her bed, clutching tightly to Promise, her thumb in her mouth. She found herself unable to sleep after haven woken from yet another night terror. In her dream Carver told her she wasn't a good mother, that she couldn't protect her twins or keep them away from him.

Part of Clementine believe him… She wondered if things were hard for everyone. Did she cry like her daughters did when her own mother tried to pick her up? Did she make her mother feel sad and discouraged like the twins did to her?

A sudden wail from the living room pulled her out of her thoughts.

Clementine glanced to her wheelchair. She wanted to see what was wrong, she wanted to check on her twins.

She forced herself out of bed, struggling to hold her balance. The wheelchair was by her bedside so she didn't have to go very far. She managed to stumble the few inches to it and sit down.

The child maneuvered her way to the living room, where she could hear the twins both crying.

Clementine fought the urge to cover her ears as she made her way over to the cradle. She got out of her wheelchair and said, "It's okay, girls. Mommy's here."

 _"You know they're mine, right?" A voice whispered to her._

Clementine gave a yell of surprise, falling back. She winced in pain, gritting her teeth.

"Clem?" Christa and Carlos stepped into the room, woken by the twins' cries. When Christa noticed Clementine on the ground she rushed over to help the child up.

Clementine quickly yanked away from the woman. "Don't touch me!"

"Clem, please. I'm trying to help you." Christa said.

Clementine didn't respond, but Christa noticed from the look in the child's eyes that she was lost in her own world.

Clementine looked to the bassinet where her daughters were still crying. The child's eyes widened as she suddenly spotted Carver hovering over her daughters.

"You stay away from them!" The girl exclaimed, adrenaline rushed through her as she forced herself up and tried to rush over. The girl quickly fell over, her weak legs, unable to support her. Clementine yelped in pain, then looked over to the bassinet to see Carver was no longer there.

Clementine slowly started crawling her way over to the bassinet. She used it to pull herself up. Ignoring her wobbling legs, she looked down to her girls' innocent faces and said in a determined voice. "I'll never let anyone hurt you…"

Carlos and Christa were surprised by her new determination, but they knew this was where Clementine's path of healing would begin.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Clementine had her good days and she had her bad days. On the good days they were positive that she was travelling towards recovery, but the bad days were always a little bit discouraging. Clementine's emotional state was fragile. She easily got depressed or despondent. She could be happy one moment and then when the slightest thing went wrong she would whipsaw herself back into despair.

That morning Clementine had been in an okay mood. She was determined to try to walk from her room to the living room. When she got out of bed her legs were too unsteady to support herself. She quickly became frustrated when she lost her footing. She felt like she wanted to cry. She used the bed to pull herself up. And sat there until Christa came to check in on her.

When the woman helped her into her wheelchair, the girl was silent. She was quiet as Christa wheeled her to the living room.

It wasn't until almost twenty minutes had passed before the child asked, "When can I start walking again?"

"Don't be in such a hurry. You're looking at a few months at minimum before you can think about walking normally again." Carlos replied.

"A f-few months?" Clementine rasped.

"You're going to need a few weeks to recover. Muscles when they aren't used atrophy. They'll need time to be re-strengthened with repetitive exercise." Carlos said. "You're young, and your body needs time to recover from the trauma. A few months is the minimum, it could even be a year."

"I don't want to be in a wheelchair for a year!" Clementine exclaimed.

"It usually takes six weeks to heal after birth, since you're so young, it'll most likely take longer. Not to mention, you also have a coccyx fracture which generally takes about twelve weeks to heal." Carlos said. "Considering you can barely hold your own weight when standing, the birth may have also cause some pelvis instability. I want you to take it easy until I decide you're ready to start physical therapy."

"I don't want to! I don't want to wait until you're ready! I'm ready now!" Clementine retorted.

"Clementine, you're not ready to walk. You need time to heal." Christa said. "Just take a deep breath."

"I-It's not fair!" The child yelled, before her voice cracked a bit. "It's not fair…"

Christa sighed and started to comfort the young girl. She knew things were really tough on her.

* * *

The twins had been crying on and off for most of the day. Christa made sure to help Clementine as much as the little girl would allow without throwing a fit. Clementine was extremely over protective of the twins, which was understandable to Christa. However, the atmosphere had become somewhat strained since Clementine's earlier tantrum.

Carlos had gone to check in on Sarita, allowing Sarah to come with him after the teen pleaded to see how Sarita was doing, leaving Christa alone with Clementine and the twins. Christa decided to make some lunch for Clementine, after making sure both the twins were fed.

Aleena had fallen asleep moments ago, but Crystal seemed fussy.

When there was a knock at the door, Christa paused before going to answer.

"I'll be back." Christa said to Clementine.

Clementine just nodded.

Christa went to the door, opening it to see Jane. "Hey…"

Christa wasn't surprised to see her. She figured Jane just needed someone to talk to, because the woman would drop by every other day.

"Hey." Jane greeted. "Mind if I come in?"

"Actually, I'm kind of busy. I'm making Clementine some lunch. And Crystal's been kind of fussy today."

"I don't mind waiting if you're busy." Jane quickly said. "And babies cry, it doesn't bother me."

Christa was still hesitant to let her in.

"Everything's okay, right?" Jane asked.

"Everything's fine…" Christa sighed. "Alright, come in." She opened the door and allowed Jane to step inside.

Jane's gaze immediately fell on Clementine who was sitting in her wheelchair, holding her crying daughter. "Hey Clem."

Clementine didn't respond to her. The girl only instinctively held her daughter closer.

"Clem…" Jane took a step towards her.

Christa quickly grabbed at Jane's arm. "Leave her be." She warned.

Jane gave a small nod, though she was surprised by Christa's harsh tone.

Christa released her and walked over to Clementine. Speaking in a kinder tone, she said, "Clem, she might be wet. I can change her for you."

"I can do it." Clementine simply replied.

"Are you sure, Clementine?" Christa asked.

"I want to take care of them. I can do it." Clementine said.

"Alright…" Christa grabbed a clean diaper and some wipes from a nearby table, placing it on the couch. Christa walked over to push Clementine's wheelchair over, but the child shook her head.

"I can do it by myself." Clementine used one arm to hold Crystal and used her free hand to wheel her way to the couch.

Christa wasn't surprised by the girl's desire to be independent, she just didn't want her to push herself. "I'm gonna finish making lunch. Call me if you need me."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Christa slowly made her way out of the room.

Clementine gently place Crystal on the couch and began to unwrap the baby from her blanket.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Jane asked.

Clementine said nothing as she finished unwrapping the blanket. For such a tiny baby, Crystal sure could cry.

Clementine unsnapped the infant's diaper and cringed.

"How long are you gonna ignore me?" Jane asked. "You can't still be mad at me."

"You told me to kill my daughters." Clementine replied. "Why would I want to talk to you?"

"I didn't tell you to do anything. I made a suggestion, gave you advice." Jane said.

"Screw your advice." Clementine said. She started to use the wipes to clean Crystal before replacing the child's dirty diaper with the fresh one, making sure to fold it in half.

"My advice could've saved you." Jane responded.

"Saved me from what?" Clementine asked. She finished changing Crystal and picked her up. The baby's crying slowly ceased as Clementine gently rocked her.

"From being trapped." Jane said.

"What are you talking about?" Clementine said.

"Can you seriously tell me that you're enjoying all this? You like being a mother at eleven?" Jane inquired.

"I… I always thought I would be one day." Clementine mumbled.

"One day… But not now." Jane said. "Kids tie you down. They sap the strength right out of you."

"I love them. I would never dream of getting rid of them." Clementine said.

"Just think about your life now… Once you get pass all the poop and spit-up, you move onto tantrums and backtalk." Jane said.

"I can handle it."

"But you shouldn't have to." Jane said.

Clementine just continued rocking Crystal. The infant's eyes were slowly starting to shut. Clementine moved towards the bassinet and placed Crystal inside. "I need to wash my hands…"

"Go ahead." Jane said.

Clementine didn't move. "I… I don't want to leave."

"You mean you don't want to leave them with me." Jane said. "I'm not gonna touch them."

"How do I know that?" Clementine huffed.

"Trust me or don't trust me." Jane shrugged. "I'm not gonna touch them. Like I said, I was just giving you advice the other day."

"Horrible advice."

"In your opinion." Jane said.

Clementine was still reluctant to leave the twins.

Jane noticed this and tossed her the pack of wipes, while picking up Crystal dirty diaper. "I'll throw this away for you."

As Jane walked off to trash the diaper, Clementine took the chance to go wash her hands.

Clementine made her way to the bathroom. She made her way to the sink and pulled herself to her feet. Her legs trembled, barely strong enough to support her weight, she had to hold onto the sink to keep from falling. Fortunately, the sink still worked, despite the water being freezing cold. She rinsed off her hands, scrubbing them clean.

The child then looked to the mirror, taking in her own appearance. She looked as exhausted as she felt. Clementine frowned and moved her hands to her stomach, despite giving birth she hadn't regain her original figure. She was feeling frustrated.

Clementine sighed and sat back in her wheelchair. She made her way back to the living room and found Jane sitting on the couch. Clementine quickly looked to the bassinet the twins were still fast asleep.

"Relax. I told you I wouldn't touch them." Jane said.

"I just wanted to check on them…" Clementine said.

"Right…" Jane said. "They're so small. How much do they weigh?"

"What?"

"How much do the twins weigh?" Jane repeated.

"Three pounds…" Clementine said. "They're both three pounds."

"How do you feed them?" Jane asked.

"Crystal can use a bottle now… She spits up a lot still, but she's doing a little better. Aleena… she has to use a feeding tube, because Carlos is worried she'll stop breathing." Clementine explained.

"That's tough. Poor babies…" Jane said. "You don't think they're suffering?"

"They're fine… You're just mad." Clementine said.

"Mad? What do I have to be mad about?" Jane asked the girl.

"Because of what happened to your baby. You want my babies to die." Clementine said.

"I don't want them to die, Clem." Jane argued.

"Then stop saying stuff like that!" Clementine snapped.

"I didn't mean it like that… Sorry." Jane sighed.

Clementine was quiet for a moment before asking, "Where's Luke?"

"He'll probably come by later on." Jane said.

"Why are you here?"

"I figured I'd check in on you. And talk to Christa." Jane said.

"Well, I wish you would leave…" Clementine said.

"Clem, I don't want any trouble. I just wanted to talk… You're a smart kid, everyone knows that. You wouldn't have made it this long if you weren't. Yet every time I talk to you, it seems like it goes in one ear and out the other." Jane said.

"I hear you. I just don't want to listen to what you got to say." Clementine said.

"But you should. For your girls' sake." Jane said. "You know as well as I do that it's not safe to stay in one spot for too long. You can't think this town's gonna be safe forever."

"Nowhere is safe forever. But it's safe for now. There's food, houses, and most importantly, a doctor." Clementine said.

"But you wanted to leave before." Jane pointed out.

"That's because I thought it would be better. But now I got to be smart for my girls. It's safe for them here." Clementine said.

"For how long? This place isn't invincible, let enough bandits or walkers come through and we're done for." Jane said.

"Me leaving is the reason I had my babies early." Clementine said with a frown.

"You probably wouldn't have carried them full term anyway." Jane said. "Look, you say you want to do right for your kids, so listen to me. I'm sure you've been though quite a few groups, and how have things turned out?"

"…Not good."

"And this one won't be any different." Jane said.

Clementine lowered her gaze.

"Imagine what could've happened, had Troy and Tavia got to this town." Jane said.

"I don't want to talk about them. They're dead." Clementine said.

"Clem-"

"I said I don't want to talk about them." Clementine cut her off. "We need to be quiet. The babies are resting."

Before Jane could reply Christa returned to the room with a plate of food.

"Everything alright here?" Christa asked, sending Jane a look.

"Yeah..." Jane said. "Everything's fine…"

Christa approached Clementine. "Hope you're in the mood for chicken noodle soup."

"I'm not hungry." Clementine sighed.

"Well, you still gotta eat something. It's not healthy for you to skip meals." Christa said.

"A lot of things aren't healthy for me..." Clementine said. "That's why I got to take all those medicines. I hate it."

"The medicine helps, Clem." Christa said then hands her the bowl of soup. "Now eat some food."

Clementine didn't protest any further as she slowly begin to eat.

Christa turned to Jane, taking a seat on the sofa by the woman. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing in particular. It's just been helping me a lot being able to come over and talk so... thank you." Jane said.

"No problem." Christa said.

"You don't mind me coming over, do you?" Jane asked.

"That depends on if Clem's okay with it." Christa replied.

Clementine looked to Jane. "Just stay away from my babies, please."

Christa was a bit surprised by the child's cold tone. "Clementine?"

"I don't want her near them." Clementine said. "Not unless I say so."

Jane spoke before Christa could. "Got it... I'll keep my distance."

"Good." Clementine simply said.

* * *

"Does... it hurt?" Sarah asked, looking to Sarita's stump with a small frown.

"Kind of... I'm getting used to it now being there..." Sarita said.

"I don't know how you can get used to that... It must feel scary... not having an arm." Sarah said.

"It felt like a nightmare, but... at least I'm alive. I'll do my best to adapt..." Sarita replied.

"You're doing good, babe... I told you, we'll get through this." Kenny said, rocking AJ a little as the baby cooed.

Sarita gave him a small smile. "…How's Clementine doing?"

"She's displayed signs that she may be suffering from postpartum depression. It's not too bad now, and fortunately she's making a good recovery." Carlos paused. "I just hope things don't take a negative turn."

"Poor baby... I... I should see her." Sarita said.

"Are you sure about that?" Carlos asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Sarita asked back.

Carlos didn't get the chance to respond.

Kenny spoke instead, "This asshole thinks it's Clem's fault..."

Sarah flinched at the swear.

Sarita looked confused for a moment. "Thinks what is her fault?"

"The bite..." Kenny said.

"That's not true." Carlos said. "I know Clementine wasn't in control of her actions, but sometime people do say things that they don't mean. What happened is traumatic and I don't want anyone to react rashly around Clementine."

"I wouldn't say anything to hurt her feelings." Sarita said with a frown. "What happened wasn't her fault."

"Even if you don't blame her, Clementine blames herself. She might take it hard seeing you..." Carlos explained.

"She's gonna see her at some point." Kenny said.

"I want to talk to her. She can't carry so much guilt. This isn't her fault." Sarita said.

"She's a broken child. We're seeing her slowly regain her confidence. I don't want to mess that up. She's very fragile right now." Carlos said.

"I understand…" Sarita sighed. "I would like to see her and the twins, but I'll wait until she's ready."

"She's ready, hon. Clementine loves getting visitors. She'd be happy to see you." Kenny said.

"Maybe you're right, but I wouldn't want to cause any trouble. I'll give her some time. Everything has been so stressful, I wouldn't want to make her even more stressed." Sarita said.

"You won't. He's just saying stuff." Kenny grumbled.

"I told you, I believe she has postpartum depression. Anything can worsen it. This should be a gradual process, no need to rush things." Carlos said.

"Alright… I'll wait until she's ready." Sarita said.

"I appreciate your understanding." Carlos replied.

Kenny just huffed, he thought the doctor was being ridiculous.

* * *

Becca felt bored. She was tired of sitting around the little town with nothing to do all day. She wanted to do something fun. She didn't want to spend her time playing board games with Clementine or Sarah, she wanted to be doing exciting teenage stuff.

It sucked, back when things were normal Becca looked forward to getting older. Being able to go to the movies, and the mall, but now it seemed like she had nothing to look forward to.

Everyday was full of stress and depression.

She needed some kind of outlet. Clementine had her teddy bear, Sarah had her books. Becca didn't know what hers was…

Bonnie and the others would drink, and Bonnie described that as a stress reliever.

Becca wondered if that was true. She was home alone, Bonnie had left almost an hour ago and Becca knew where she kept the liquor. The teen figured a little bit wouldn't hurt.

She made her way towards the closet where Bonnie stored the few bottles of rum she had.

Becca slowly took one bottle into her hands and unscrewed the cap. The teen lifted the bottle, smelling the contents. She cringed.

Telling herself, "Now or never", she took a quick swig, grimacing at the foul taste. She waited for something to happen, but it didn't. She took another swig and then closed the bottle, placing it back.

A few moments passed before Becca felt, something…

She was a bit dizzy, but the feeling was interesting. Needless to say, she didn't dislike the feeling.

She quickly closed the closet and headed back to her room, so she wouldn't be caught.

* * *

The room was quiet. Sarah wondered if her friend was okay. She looked to Clementine. The child was holding tight to Promise and looked lost in thought.

"Clementine, are you okay? You've been really quiet..." Sarah asked.

"What?" Clementine shook her head. "Sorry… I just... I've just been thinking..."

"Oh... Wanna play a game?" Sarah suggested.

"No, thanks…" Clementine said.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Sarah asked, looking worried.

"I... Jane just... got me thinking..." Clementine said.

"About what?"

"A lot..." Clementine said. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Umm... Okay." Sarah said. "I saw Sarita earlier."

"Yeah. I know... How is she?" Clementine asked.

"She's okay… It must be scary for her, not having an arm..." Sarah said. "It reminds me of Reggie…"

Clementine frowned. "I bet it is scary… I can't imagine…"

"She wants to see you." Sarah said.

"Why?" Clementine asked, a bit surprised.

"She just said she'd like to visit you." Sarah said.

"I… I don't know about that. It might be a bad idea." Clementine said.

"But why? Don't you want to see her?" Sarah asked the young girl.

Clementine paused for a moment then shook her head. "I can't… I don't understand why anyone would want to see me anyway. I'm not good to be around."

"What do you mean? You're great to be around." Sarah said. "Why do you think you're not, Clem."

"What happened to Sarita was my fault. People get hurt because of me… People die…" Clementine said. "I'm naughty, I cause a lot of problems for the group."

"I don't think any of that's true." Sarah said.

"What do you know?" Clementine huffed.

"I know you're a good friend. You're my best friend. And I think I could ever be as good a friend as you." Sarah said. "You're a great person, Clem. You shouldn't think bad about yourself. None of the mean stuff is true."

"Carver told me I was naughty… And I really do feel that way." Clementine said.

"Carver was the naughty one. He was a bully." Sarah said. "He just wanted to hurt your feelings. He wanted to make you miserable."

"Well, it worked." Clementine replied.

"But you're strong, Clem. I wish I was strong like you…" Sarah said. "You know, I was bullied when I was in school. It scared me a lot and I didn't know what to do."

"Did it stop?"

"Eventually… I told my dad and he came up to the school. He talked to the principle. Next week, no one was bullying me anymore." Sarah said.

"That's good…" Clementine said. "If my dad was alive he wouldn't have let Carver hurt me… When I told people what happened, they thought I was lying. My dad wouldn't ever call me a liar…"

Sarah frowned at that. "I don't think you're a liar."

"Thanks… I guess…" Clementine mumbled.

"My dad always told me not to listen to what mean people say. They try to knock you down to make themselves feel better." Sarah said.

Clementine just kept quiet.

"Well… Wanna read a book with me?" Sarah changed the subject.

"…Okay." Clementine agreed.

Sarah offered a small smile and went to grab a book for the table. She took a seat beside her friend and began reading to the young girl.

Something that both of them enjoyed doing to relieve stress.

* * *

As the days continued to pass Clementine couldn't stop thinking about Jane's words.

She had made the mistake of leaving once, she couldn't do it again. Her twins needed stability and though Jane had a point about them being low in numbers if it came to getting attacked, this was the safest place at the moment.

Clementine gently cradled Crystal, as the tiny infant slept in her arms.

"I never would've guessed a kid could be such a good parent..." Luke said.

"The only time she's not crying is when she's asleep." Clementine said. "She hardly cries when you or Christa hold her either."

"That's not true. She wails her little head off every time I pick her up." Luke said.

"But you guys can calm her down easier than I can. Leena doesn't cry when I hold her."

"Aleena must be a mommy's girl." Luke said. "You're the only one she wants holding her."

Clementine gave a small smile at that. Then suddenly asked, "Are you their dad?"

"Even… Even if I'm not their real father. I'm gonna be a dad to them." Luke said. "As long as you want me to be…"

"Okay…But… Aleena's hair isn't like yours… And it's not like mine either… I mean, it's curly like mine, but it's not the same color."

"Well sometimes it's just like that." Luke said. It was true, Aleena's hair was a light brown with small, almost unnoticeable streaks of blonde. Luke was sure that once the baby was older the blonde streaks would be more obvious.

"But why?" Clementine asked. "But she has blonde in her hair. You don't have blonde hair and… neither did Carver…"

"I'm not sure, but the blonde's mixed in good with the brown." Luke shrugged, not getting the child's point. "I'm sure it'll be adorable once she's older."

"Crystal's hair is the same as mine…" Clementine said. "Why isn't Leena's."

"It's something to do with the genes. You'd have to ask Carlos. I've never been good at that science stuff." Luke said. "Either way, the twins are both perfect to me."

"Yeah. You're right." Clementine said as she smiled down at Crystal. Her smile slowly faded away, "I barely get to hold Aleena. Carlos only lets me hold her for short amounts of time. I wish they were born healthier…"

"At least they're alive…" Luke said.

"Yeah…" Clementine said. "I'm grateful for that… Even if Crystal hates me."

"Whoa… Where'd that come from?" Luke asked.

Clementine simply shrugged.

"She doesn't hate you, Clementine." Luke said.

"How do you know?" Clementine asked.

"She's a baby. She doesn't even know what hate is." Luke said.

"It's a feeling. You don't have to understand feelings." Clementine said.

"I think you're overreacting, kid." Luke said.

"I'm not overreacting." Clementine disagreed. "If she doesn't hate me, how come she's always crying when I hold her."

"She's not crying now." Luke replied.

"Because she's asleep." Clementine said.

"She cries with everyone Clem." Luke said.

"But I'm her mother." Clementine said. "It's not fair… I'm supposed to be able to calm her down."

"You're being paranoid. If babies could hate anyone it wouldn't be you." Luke said. "Anyway, they both cry every time Carlos picks them up, what's that say."

"I can't blame them for that, he's Carlos…. But I'm their mom…" Clementine sighed. "It just hurts my feelings."

"I know, Clem. But things are gonna be better." Luke said.

"I hope so…" Clementine said. "How do you feel about me?"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"I mean… how do you feel? Do you like me? Or… hate me?" Clementine asked.

"I could never hate you. No one hates you, Clem." Luke said. "You're a sweet kid. I like you."

"And you like the babies…?"

"Of course." Luke said. "Why are you asking me this, Clem?"

"I'm just confused." Clementine answered.

"About what, kid?" Luke asked.

"Well… You act like you're the twins' dad… And you say you like me, but you don't want to marry me." Clementine said.

Luke sighed at that. "Because you're a kid, Clem. We've been over this time after time."

"I'm a kid with two kids of my own. I don't think I should be considered a kid anymore." Clementine said.

"But you are. Look, what happened at Howe's never should've happened. It was wrong." Luke said.

"Do you ever think about it… when you look at the twins?" Clementine questioned.

"I try not to…" Luke said.

"I think about it a lot…" Clementine said. "When they get older, they're going to ask question. Questions I won't know how to answer."

"I know…" Luke said.

"Why can't we be together? We could be happy, like a real family." Clementine said.

"It's wrong, Clem. It's so wrong." Luke said. "If I even considered being with you like that I'd be no better than Carver."

"But you are better." Clementine said.

"Not if I was attracted to a kid. I'm not a pedophile, Clem." Luke said.

"It felt better…." Clementine suddenly muttered.

"What?"

"When we did it. When your thingy was inside me… It felt better than when Carver was fucking me." Clementine said.

Luke cringed at that. "Never say that again."

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong kid!" Luke exclaimed.

"But it's true! It felt better." Clementine said.

"Enough, Clementine! Just stop!" Luke said, not wanting to hear anymore.

Clementine gave a light flinch. She felt Crystal stirred a bit in her lap.

Seconds later a quiet cry came from the basinet as Aleena was awoken by the noise.

Luke took a deep breath and went over to comfort the baby.

"I'm sorry…" Clementine mumbled.

"It's fine… Just… don't say things like that." Luke said as he gently picked up Aleena.

Clementine kept quiet. She didn't want to make Luke any more upset by saying something wrong.

* * *

Everytime Carlos came to check on her, Sarita wondered how Clementine was doing. She wanted to see the little girl, though Carlos felt she wasn't ready.

"Is Clementine doing any better?" Sarita asked.

"She's worried about seeing you…" Sarah told the woman.

"Why?" Sarita asked.

"She thinks you're angry at her. She thinks you hate her." Sarah explained.

Sarah frowned. "Oh my gosh… Why does she think that?"

"Because she's an emotionally disturbed child. She thinks a lot of things…" Carlos said.

"But she's just a child… I can't just let her think I hate her." Sarita said.

"I told her you don't… She thinks what happened is her fault." Sarah said.

"It's not… She should know it's not…" Sarita said.

"She's going to believe what she wants to believe. Nothing you say will change that." Carlos said.

"I can at least tell her she's not to blame. I want to see her." Sarita said.

Carlos sighed.

"We've been patient, doc. How much longer do you want us to wait?" Kenny demanded.

Carlos didn't speak for a moment. "Okay… I'll allow you to see her."

"Today?" Sarita asked.

"If that's what you want…" Carlos said.

"It is." Sarita said.

Carlos nodded. "Okay then…"

* * *

The day was a quiet one. Calm, in fact. Other than the cries from the twins every so often. Clementine felt at ease.

That was until Carlos and Sarah returned to the house. They weren't alone, Kenny and AJ were with them as well as Sarita.

When Clementine saw the woman, her blood ran cold.

The child didn't know what to say to the woman. She suddenly felt nervous.

"Hello, Clementine." Sarita greeted the child.

"H-Hi…" Clementine mumbled. She tried not to look to the woman's stumped arm.

"How are you doing, sweetie?" Sarita asked.

"I… I'm okay…" Clementine said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing better." Sarita said. "I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay."

Clementine bit her lip. "Why?"

"Why what?" Sarita asked.

"Why would you want to see me…?" Clementine asked.

"Because I'm worried about you." Sarita said.

"You shouldn't be. Worry about yourself. I'm no good…" Clementine said.

"You've been nothing but good from the first day I met you, Clem. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Sarita said.

"But… But I did that to you." Clementine motioned to her arm. "It's my fault."

"It's not your fault." Sarita said.

"How isn't it? I'm the one who hurt you." Clementine said.

"You didn't mean to. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself, sweetie." Sarita replied.

Clementine didn't know what to say.

"How've the two little angels been?" Kenny asked, trying to calm some of the tension.

"They've been okay." Clementine said. "I'm starting to feel more like a mother now…"

"It's still crazy to believe you're a mother… you're just a little kid." Kenny sighed.

"I'm not the same little girl you used to know, Kenny… She's gone." Clementine said. "I haven't been a little girl since I was nine."

Kenny frowned at that. He was unsure how to respond.

"She's not gone. You're still the same sweetie little girl." Christa spoke up. "Just stronger and more mature."

Kenny nodded. "Christa's right… "You know, when I first saw you back at the lodge, I thought I was dreaming. And when you sat down next to me, and we shared that meal... well, I could tell you were different. Grown up. I felt... pride... a pride I hadn't felt in a long time.

"How can you be proud of me?" Clementine asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kenny questioned back.

"I can't be proud of myself." Clementine said. "How can you be proud of me?".

"You're a great kid, Clem. A lot of folks are proud of you." Kenny said.

"But I'm not... I'm a mess and a brat..." Clementine frowned. "I'm the one responsible for the deaths and pain of a lot of people."

"Don't put that guilt on yourself, Clementine. You've done nothing wrong." Sarita said. "You've been brave, even in the face of unimaginable things."

"You're the toughest kid I know. I couldn't be any prouder of you, Clem." Kenny said.

"Thank you…" Clementine mumbled. Their words meant a lot, still, part of her couldn't shake the guilt she felt.

* * *

Sarita's unexpected visit left Clementine a bit shaken up. The next day, Clementine was still lost in thoughts as she and Sarah proceeded to play board games in Clementine's room.

Becca had eventually come by and joined them in the game.

The teens could tell something was bothering their little friend.

They played the game of Monopoly in silence before Becca finally sighed. "Alright, what's the problem, Clem?"

"What?" Clementine asked.

"What's bothering you?" Becca questioned.

"Nothing's wrong. Really." Clementine claimed.

"I don't believe you. Come on, what's the deal?" Becca asked the girl.

Clementine kept quiet.

Becca raised a brow then looked to Sarah. "What the problem?"

"I don't know." Sarah said.

"You gotta know something." Becca said. "Why's she so bummed?"

"I'm right here you know." Clementine said.

"But you're not answering the question." Becca said.

"I answered. I said nothing's wrong." Clementine said.

"And that's obviously not true." Becca replied. "Did someone say something to you?"

"No." Clementine sighed.

"Sarita came by earlier. She was here for a while…" Sarah said. "Clementine was nervous about seeing her."

"So that's it, huh?" Becca asked Clementine.

"It's not a big deal… Sometimes I think too much... Especially when it's quiet. It's hard for me not to feel guilty, even when people say things aren't my fault." Clementine said.

"Even if something's your fault... You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Becca said. "We've all made mistakes. You only add fuel to the fire when you become your own critic."

Clementine sighed. "I guess you're right..."

"You know I'm right." Becca said. "Don't fret about it."

"In other words, you're saying to get over it?" Clementine asked.

"Exactly." Becca said. "Anyway, this is boring."

"Wanna play something else?" Sarah asked.

"Nah, I have another idea." Becca said. "You said you think too much, right Clem?"

"Yeah…" Clementine said.

"Well, I might have a solution to your problem. A temporary solution I mean…" Becca said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Really." Becca said. "You know the adults have been having these little "get togethers" every few days? They've been partying while we sit here doing nothing."

"Not everybody's partying. My dad doesn't." Sarah said.

"Your dad's a prude." Becca said.

"He is not." Sarah argued.

"I beg to differ. Just because your dad is a self-righteous asshole, doesn't mean you have to be a goody two-shoes." Becca replied.

"You don't have to talk bad about my dad. And I just don't want any trouble." Sarah said.

"Let loose for once, Sarah." Becca groaned.

"Christa doesn't drink with the others either. Does that make her a prude?" Clementine asked.

"Do you even know what a prude is?" Becca asked the girl with a smirk.

"Umm... No. But it's an insult, right?" Clementine asked.

"It's a killjoy. Which Carlos, definitely is." Becca said.

Sarah frowned at that. "My dad does a lot of fun stuff. He's just really busy lately."

"What kind of fun stuff. I don't think your dad even knows the definition of fun." Becca said.

"He used to play chess a lot and different card games." Sarah said.

"That's boring." Becca said. "I want to have some really fun. Bonnie and the others, they spend entire night drinking and having fun."

"How do you know it's fun?" Sarah asked.

"Because it sounds fun. Listen, my point is we're missing out. We're never going to get to be like normal kids. So why not take advantage of the fun things when we can?" Becca said. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend all my time playing monopoly or connect four."

"But I like board games." Sarah said.

"Me too." Clementine said.

"So that's seriously all you two wanna do? Sit around and play board games?" Becca asked.

"That's not all we do. Sometimes were read or draw. And I take care of the twins." Clementine said.

"You like to draw…" Becca said.

"Yes." Clementine replied.

"Draw out you daily schedule. Maybe than you'll see how boring and repetitive it is." Becca said. "I don't know about you, but I need some excitement in my life."

"I guess we have different ideas of excitement." Clementine said. "I don't see why it matters much. The grown-ups can drink if they want."

"But it's unfair." Becca said. "You mean to tell me that it doesn't bother you in that slightest if Luke goes drinking with them. Shouldn't he be helping with the babies?"

"He does. He comes everyday." Clementine said.

"Where do you think he goes after?" Becca asked her.

Clementine shrugged. "What he does after isn't my business."

"Maybe not, just thought I'd point it out to you…" Becca shrugged. "You know, I keep wondering if Luke and Jane are in a relationship or not. It's weird when I see them together."

Clementine eyes widened a bit. "Jane goes with Luke?"

"Sometimes." Becca said. "Not always."

"How is drinking fun anyway?" Sarah asked.

"It's not the drinking part that's fun. It's the feeling after." Becca said.

"How do you know that?" Sarah asked her.

"Take a wild guess." Becca said.

"You've been drunk before?" Sarah gasped.

"I wouldn't say drunk. Just a little buzzed." Becca said.

"Buzzed?" Clementine furrowed her brows.

"It was just kicking in." Becca said. "Bonnie said alcohol's a stress reliever. I know you need one, Clem… I know where she keeps the bottles.

"So?" Clementine urged her to continue.

"So, why not have a drinking party of our own?" Becca suggested.

Sarah shook her head. "We're underage. We can't drink."

"What's the drinking age?" Clementine asked.

"Who cares. We're sixteen, most kids our age have their first drink by now. I mean, Clem's young, but one drink's not gonna kill us." Becca said.

"The grown-ups will." Sarah replied.

"If they find out. Which they won't…" Becca said.

"And why do you think they won't?" Clementine questioned

"I'll sneak the bottle in and sleepover. As long as none of us say anything, there's no way they'll find out." Becca said.

"What about my girls? I'm supposed to set a good example for them." Clementine said.

"Clem, the twins aren't even a month old yet." Becca said. "Once they start understanding stuff, that's when I'll set a good example for my Goddaughters."

Clementine sighed at that.

"Are you guys in, or out?" Becca asked them.

There was silence for a moment.

"I'll try it…" Clementine said.

"What about you, Sarah?" Becca asked.

"I… I don't know." Sarah stammered, looking away.

"Don't be a chicken." Becca said.

"I'm not…" Sarah said.

"Then take a drink. One won't hurt you…" Becca said.

Sarah hesitated, but spoke. "I… I… O-Okay…"

"Good." Becca stood up. "I'll see you two tonight…"

Clementine and Sarah exchanged looks as Becca walked off, they didn't know how this would turn out.

* * *

Throughout the day Carlos and Christa was aware that Clementine and Sarah seemed anxious.

Though they had no idea what was worrying the two girls.

The fact that Clementine was sucking her thumb most of the day, was enough to show Christa that the girl was nervous. It was a habit the child had whenever she was stressed or nervous.

The two girls sat in Clementine's room, side by side on the bed.

"This is a bad idea." Sarah said. "What if we get caught?"

"We won't get caught." Clementine replied.

"How do you know?" Sarah asked.

"We'll be careful." Clementine said.

Both girls quickly turned their heads as the door opened. They broke apart as if they had not been talking.

Christa raised a brow. "Okay... What are you two up to?"

"N-Nothing..." Sarah stammered, shooting Clementine a guilty look.

Christa eyed them cautiously. "When you talk like that I know something's up. What are you girls talking about?"

Neither girl answered. They just looked away.

Christa sighed. "I made some lunch. It's in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Christa." Sarah smiled and headed to the kitchen.

"You hungry, Clem?" Christa asked the child.

Clementine frowned and shook her head. "No…"

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Christa asked.

"Nothing..."

Christa took a seat on the edge of the bed. "What were you and Sarah talking about?"

"Just... board games." Clementine lied.

Christa didn't believe it. "Sweetie, remember when you and I had a talk about things that make you uncomfortable? I told you if something doesn't feel right, it's probably not right... Is something making you uncomfortable?"

Clementine shrugged.

"Well sometimes you got to listen to your heart, even if your mind disagrees." Christa told the child. "Come on, let's get you some lunch."

"But I'm not hungry." Clementine protested.

"Come on, Clem. When's the last time you had an apple?" Christa said.

Clementine's eyes seemed to brighten at that then she paused. "What if it makes me throw up?"

"I don't think it will. Let's just give it a try." Christa said.

"Okay." Clementine agreed.

Christa helped the child into her wheelchair. She brought her to the kitchen to eat lunch.

Clementine couldn't remember than last time she had an apple. She was hesitant to eat the apple slices on her plate. She finished eating the crackers before finally picking up an apple slice.

To her surprise she managed to eat her food without throwing up.

* * *

When Becca came by it was starting to get dark outside. The teen entered the house with a backpack slung over her shoulder, Christa was suspicious.

"What's in the bag?" Christa asked.

"Just some drawings I've been working on." Becca shrugged, keeping a nonchalant tone. "I wanted to show them to Clem."

"Is that right?" Christa asked.

"Yeah." Becca said.

Christa looked her over for a minute before saying, "…They're in the room."

Becca nodded and headed to Clementine's bedroom. Clementine and Sarah were playing game of Uno.

"Hey." Becca said.

The two looked to her.

"What's with the nervous looks?" Becca raised a brow.

Neither of them responded.

Becca placed her bag in the corner of the room. "Alright then, let me play."

After re-dealing the cards the three began playing. They played several rounds of different board games until Carlos came in and told them to get some rest.

They settled down and waited until eventually the house was quiet and they were sure Christa and Carlos had gone to bed.

Becca pulled the bottle from the backpack and show it to her two friends.

"You really got it…" Clementine noted.

"I told you I would." Becca said. She opened the bottle and took a chug. She then offered it to Clementine.

The girl wrinkled her nose at the smell.

"Just drink it, don't smell it." Becca said.

Clementine did so. She made a bitter face, then quickly passed the bottle back.

Becca offered it to Sarah who just looked at it.

"I... I don't want any." Sarah refused.

"Suit yourself." Becca said.

As time went on Sarah watched as her two friends drank until the ceiling started spinning overhead. Before long the two were laughing and giggling.

Sarah didn't know what to do. She knew this wasn't right, they shouldn't be doing this.

* * *

Clementine couldn't sleep. While Becca and Sarah dozed off, Clementine slowly made her way out of her bed. She winced as her feet touched the floor. She tried to take a step but stumbled forward, collapsing to the floor.

Sarah shot upright, startled by the sudden thump. "Clem? What are you doing?

"I… I wanna see the twins." Clementine said.

"It's late. They're sleeping Go back to bed." Sarah said.

"I wanna see them!" She struggled to try to stand.

"Clem, you shouldn't be trying to walk. Dad said-

"I wanna walk." Clementine gripped the blanket from her bed trying to force herself up.

Sarah frowned. "Clementine…"

The young girl stumbled again. She suddenly felt dizzy. Sarah rushed over looking concerned over her friend. "Clementine, are you okay?

Clementine responded by promptly vomiting.

Sarah squealed in shock. "I… I'm gonna get my dad. Stay here."

Clementine groaned, unable to process Sarah's words as the room continued to spin.

Sarah rushed to tell get her father and Christa. She knew she had promised not to tell, but she was too worried to keep it a secret.

Clementine wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then proceeded to curl up in a ball. She felt awful. She was never drinking again.

* * *

The next morning, Clementine and Becca felt awful. To make matters worse, Carlos and Sarah were scolding them for drinking.

"What on earth made you girls think it was okay for you to be drinking?" Carlos hissed at the girls.

Clementine kept her gaze low, while Becca had her eyes screwed shut.

"You got nothing to say for yourselves?" Carlos asked.

"What's there to say?" Becca huffed.

"Why would you think it was a good idea?" Carlos demanded.

"We… We just wanted to try it." Clementine admitted in a small voice.

"You wanted to try it?" Carlos grumbled. "You do realize that if you were to pump while that alcohol was in your system, you'd be poisoning your babies."

Clementine frowned at that. "I… I didn't-"

"Didn't what?" Carlos inquired.

The child didn't know how to answer.

"You didn't care, that what it was." Carlos said.

"Carlos, stop. She didn't know." Christa said. "I'm not going to let you treat her like that."

"Why are you defending her actions?" Carlos inquired.

"I'm not. I'm just not going to let you bully her." Christa said.

"They're children. They shouldn't be drinking in the first place. Not to mention, Clementine's on a beta blocker. Alcohol could worsen her symptoms." Carlos said. "Did you drink as well, Sarah?"

Sarah shook her head.

"At least my child has some sense." Carlos stated.

"It was my idea, okay?" Becca said. "Would everyone calm down? My head is killing me."

"It's called a hangover. That's what happens when you drink." Christa said to the teen.

"How did you get the alcohol anyway?" Carlos demanded.

Becca groaned, clutching her head. "Bonnie."

"Bonnie gave it to you?" Christa asked.

"No… I know where she keeps it." Becca explained.

Carlos shook his head. "Sarah, get your stuff."

"What?" Sarah sent her father a confused look.

"We're going home. I'm not going to let them negatively influence you." Carlos said.

"We didn't force her to do anything…" Clementine said.

"It's call peer pressure. I'm sick of you being a little smartass." Carlos huffed.

"And I'm sick and tired of your damn attitude! Don't call her a smartass." Christa said.

The twins started whimpering at the noise.

"She's disrespectful. She's trying to contradict me and you keep on defending her." Carlos said.

"I'm not defending her for drinking. I'm defending her from being bullied. You can't treat her like that." Christa said.

Carlos crossed his arms. "Keep her away from my child then. Everytime I give her a chance she just proves to me that she cannot be trusted… Sarah, let's go."

Sarah frowned and went to get her things.

"This wasn't Clem's fault. If you're mad at anyone, it should be me." Becca said.

"Both of you are in the wrong. And my daughter isn't going to be exposed to your negativity." Carlos said.

"W-What about the twins?" Clementine asked.

"I'll continue to check in on them, for their sake. Because unlike their mother, they've done nothing wrong." Carlos said.

Before long Sarah returned with her books.

"Let's go." Carlos headed to the door, Sarah followed.

* * *

"Dad, don't be mad at them." Sarah said.

"How can I not? They tried to convince you to drink!" Carlos grumbled.

"They were bored. They wanted to see how it was…" Sarah said.

"Did you?" Carlos asked. "Did you want to know how it was as well?"

"I… I was curious, but I didn't drink any… I promise." Sarah said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Carlos asked.

"Because I didn't want any of us to get in trouble… I'm sorry, dad. I really am…" Sarah said. "They're my best friends. My only friends. Please don't make me stop hanging with them."

Carlos didn't answer as they continued walking towards their house. He had nothing to say.

* * *

Christa gave the two girls aspirin, giving Clementine her Propranolol as well. "That should help your headaches."

"Thanks." Becca sat up from the couch, taking the medicine.

"How are you feeling, Clem?"

"Not good…" Clementine said, taking her medicine as well.

"What were you two thinking?" Christa sighed.

Clementine didn't respond.

"Clementine, talk to me. What made you want to drink?" Christa asked.

"I just wanted to try it… I know it was naughty…" Clementine frowned.

"It was supposed to be a stress reliever…" Becca spoke up.

"That's not a good stress reliever." Christa said. "You two need a different outlet."

"I used to have one…" Becca said.

"What was it?" Christa asked.

"Playing the guitar…" Becca replied.

"Maybe you should go back to that." Christa said.

"I would if I could, but… I don't have a guitar." Becca muttered.

"Luke does…" Clementine said.

It was true, when he found it, he had basically told everyone in town.

"Doesn't mean he'll share it." Becca said, bringing a hand to her throbbing head with a groan.

"I'm gonna walk you home, so you can rest." Christa said.

"Alright…" Becca got up from the couch with a huff.

"Stay here, Clem. I'll be right back." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine replied.

Christa and Becca stepped outside.

"You know that was a bad idea, right?" Christa said.

"That's what my head is telling me… Feels like someone hit me with a hammer." Becca said.

"So… about that guitar, you really want it?" Christa asked.

"I'd like to play again." Becca said.

"Ever tried asking Luke for it?" Christa questioned.

"I doubt he'd just hand it over." Becca said.

"If you promise to stay out of trouble, I'll try to get you that guitar. Deal?" Christa said.

"Deal." Becca agreed.

* * *

Clementine was feeling too ill to take care of the twins. She felt bad hearing the crying, feeling too sick to comfort them.

When Luke came by he was surprised to see the girl curled up on the couch while Christa tended to the twins.

"Is everything alright?" Luke asked.

"Hangover." Christa simply replied.

"Whoa, what?"

"They got their hands on a bottle of rum. It's their first-time drinking, it hit them hard." Christa explained.

"Damn…" Luke muttered.

"Yeah."

Clementine groaned from their voices.

"Shit…" Luke spoke softer, "Must be pretty bad, huh?"

Christa nodded.

Luke slowly walked over to the child. "Kiddo, want me to take you to your room? It'll be quiet in there so you can rest."

"W-What about my girls?" Clementine asked.

"They'll be fine… Christa and I will look after them." Luke said.

"O-Okay..." Clementine said.

Luke carefully picked the child up and brought her to her room. He laid the girl down on her bed. He grabbed her teddy bear from the foot of her bed and handed it to her.

"Stay…" The girl grabbed his arm.

"Clem…"

"I want you to stay with me…" Clementine said, keeping a grip on his arm.

"Christa might need help…" Luke said.

"You don't care about me…" The child sniffled, releasing her grip.

"Of course I care about you…" Luke said.

"Yeah right." Clementine scoffed. "You hate me too. Just like Carlos."

"No one hates you, Clem." Luke said. "I'm sure Carlos gave you help earlier, but he was just looking out for Sarah. You know how he is…"

"I don't care what he says. He's always mad at me." Clementine said. "Everyone's always mad at me."

"That's not true… But Clem… You have to understand where he's coming from…" Luke said.

"So you're on his side?" Clementine inquired.

"There are no sides. I'm just saying… you're still a kid. Even if you don't think so." Luke said.

I'm tired of people saying that. So what if I'm a kid!" Clementine said. "I sure don't feel like one!"

"But you are one. I know you've been through a lot, and I hate to say this, but sometimes you… need to act your age." Luke scratched the back of his head.

"If you came here to scold me, just leave." Clementine huffed.

"Clem, I'm not scolding you. I'm trying to help." Luke said.

"I don't need your help! Just go away." Clementine said.

"Clementine, please. You don't mean that." Luke said.

"Yes, I do. I don't need anyone's help. I can take care of myself and I can take care of the twins." Clementine said. "You don't care about me anyway!"

"Clem…"

"Just leave me be…." Clementine said.

"Alright… Try to get some rest, kiddo."

Clementine's chest tightened and her head throbbed. She began to cry, muffling her voice with her pillow.

Eventually fatigue set in and she gradually fell asleep.

* * *

Carlos kept his word to check in on the twins the next day.

"Frankly, I don't think I need to stick around too long, considering you have some medical experience, you'll be able to tell if something's wrong. If you see any problems, inform me of them. I'll check in again tomorrow." Carlos said.

Christa decided to take the chance to speak with the man. "Carlos, I know you probably need time to get over what's happened, but you can't keep those kids away from each other."

"I can and I will. I've given Clementine every possible benefit of the doubt. We have explained unmistakably to her what behavior is unacceptable and yet, she continues to act out." Carlos replied.

"She's not trying to act out and she's not trying to cause trouble. She's just being a kid. Kids are curious." Christa said.

"There's a difference between being innocently curious, and purposely causing trouble. Clementine might think she's all grown up, but she's still a child, with no thought of the consequences of her behaviors." Carlos stated.

"That's my point. You're mad at her for being a kid." Christa said.

"That's not why I'm mad at her. I'm upset about the trouble she continuously causes." Carlos said/

"Carlos, you've been treating her like crap for months. I'm not going to let you keep insulting that kid. I won't stand for it." Christa said. "I understand you want everything around you to be picture perfect, but that's not how the world works. You're definitely not perfect, and no one else here is either."

"I never said I was. I just don't want my daughter around people who are going to lead her in the wrong direction." Carlos responded.

"Your daughter's sixteen. You can't keep treating her like a baby." Christa said. "Those kids need people around their age to interact with. It's not easy growing up in this world."

Carlos shook his head. "Sarah was fine before she knew them and she'll be fine now."

"Don't make your kid an outcast." Christa said. "She's growing up. Let her, otherwise, she'll start to resent you."

"I'm not making her an outcast. I'm protecting her." Carlos claimed.

"You're not protecting her. You're being ridiculous. You're holding a grudge against a child. Why don't you grow up? You know how fragile Clementine is right now." Christa said. "Do you really want to make things worse?"

"I'm not making things worse. I've done nothing but help that child. Just because she's been through a lot doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye when she does something wrong." Carlos said.

"Has it occurred to you that Clementine has more to worry about than you do. She's loss her parents, she's been raped, and she feels unwanted. Plus, she has two premature babies that she worries about everyday." Christa said.

Carlos didn't respond.

"As a father, you should know better than to treat a child wrong." Christa said.

"I'm only looking out for my own child." Carlos said. "And on that note, I shall take my leave."

"Right… Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Christa called as the doctor left.

She sat on the couch, letting out a heavy sigh.

* * *

Carlos couldn't stop thinking about Christa words. Between Sarah's begging to be around her only two friends and the lecture Christa had given days prior he felt like his back was stuck against a wall. He kept telling himself that he had every right to be upset and that the best thing for Sarah would be to keep her away from Clementine and Becca.

Everytime Sarah reminded him of how Clementine had dealt with more abuse to keep her safe, Carlos felt guilty.

He been under so much stress there were times he didn't realize how wrong he'd been treating the little girl. Though, honestly, he didn't want to think that his beliefs or actions had been erroneous.

Carlos hadn't always been so paranoid. His constant need to protect his daughter made him that way. His patience was nearly non-existent when it came to anyone but his daughter. Carlos knew a break would do him well, but with everything going on he didn't have time to take one.

He did his best to mask it when he was stressed or exhausted. He was a doctor and the group needed him.

And the nightmares only made him feel worse.

The nightmares had started the night of Christa's lecture.

He would see blood, so much blood... And a young girl laid on a bed, dying... he hadn't been able to save the girl. Kenny did that. Yet he was the doctor... He felt like a failure...

He knew the dreams weren't real. Sure, they were memories of a traumatizing experience, but it was all in his head. Still he couldn't shake it. It felt like more than just a dream, like a personal warning...

He decided he owed Clementine an apology.

* * *

Carlos sighed as he knocked on Christa's door. This wasn't something he ever imagined himself doing.

The door opened and Christa stood the with a confused expression.

"May I speak with Clementine?" Carlos asked.

"What for?" Christa asked.

"I... believe I owe her an apology." Carlos said.

Christa moved to let him inside. The child was sitting in her wheelchair by the twins' bassinet, coloring in a coloring book.

Carlos approached the little girl. "Clementine, can I speak with you?"

Clementine said nothing.

"I wanted to apologize to you... I've been really harsh…" Carlos said.

The girl didn't even look up.

"You don't have to accept my apology... I just wanted to say it." Carlos said.

Still not getting a response, the doctor sighed.

"I'll leave you be." He started to walk away.

"It's okay..." Clementine mumbled.

Carlos stopped, looking to the girl. "Come again?"

"It's okay. I accept your apology... I'm sorry too." Clementine said.

"Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for." Carlos said.

Clementine just lowered her gaze again.

Carlos noticed this and fought back a sigh. "Thank you for forgiving me, Clem."

Clementine gave a single nod in response.

* * *

As the others in town quickly learned of the drinking incident they made an agreement to hold off on the alcohol for a while.

The days continued to go by, turning into weeks then months. Eventually, the summer eventually came to an end. Luke agreed to let Becca take his guitar, he didn't have much time to play it anyway.

It wasn't until the twins were six weeks old that they had reached four pounds. By the time the twins reached eight weeks old, they weighed five pounds. Once they hit twelve weeks Carlos adjusted their age to one week old, going by their actual due date. He continued to keep tract of their delivery date and their adjusted date.

It had been many days before Aleena could be cuddled and bottle fed. Clementine was happy that she no longer had to see her baby hooked to a breathing machine or eating from a feeding tube. But when she was offered to give Aleena her first bottle feeding, she was too scared to do it. The baby seemed so fragile and Clementine was often worried about hurting her. After being assured that she wouldn't, Clementine fed the infant.

Over the past few months things had calmed down. Christa and Sarita, who had become more comfortable with using one arm for task, had helped Clementine learn different relaxation methods. The girl would spend at least twenty minutes a day practicing a calming technique.

The twins were healthy. Clementine was doing better as she continued to take her medication on a daily basis.

Everything was fine until October hit. It was then that things started to go south.

Christa noticed Clementine's behavior change once autumn hit. The child went from calm and collected to nervous and anxious.

Christa was used to seeing the girl holding her daughters and singing them soft lullabies, with a smile on her face. Now the child was back to constantly fingering the brim of her hat, clutching to Promise, or fidgeting in some way.

It was around the second week of October when Crystal developed colic. The twins were both around fourteen weeks, chronologically, but adjusted to three weeks old.

Crystal cried non-stop. She was constantly fussy and her endless wails frayed Clementine's nerves. Clementine was on the verge of a breakdown, she started to feel more depressed and defeated. To worsen things, she felt face to face with a child that she couldn't bond with. The girl was baffled.

The shrill cries that came from Crystal scared her. The baby's tantrums that kicked in as early as two months seemed to last for hours. Clementine felt like she was underwater and drowning, alone.

The way Crystal would wail between feedings and then spit up made Clementine felt the infant purposely did it to spite her.

Clementine spent her nights struggling to sleep. When morning came, while exhausted from lack of sleep, she would try to care for her girls who screamed so much Clementine felt like she was going crazy.

Aleena would calm down a little, but Crystal would do as she always did – wail and squirm as if she was trying to get away. Clementine felt like her own daughter hated her, she thought maybe that was why Crystal cried all the time.

Christa explained that the babies were picking up on Clementine's anxiety and that was why Crystal was fretful when she held him. Clementine didn't fully believe it. Depressed, Clementine started to separate from people. She was quiet and distant. She felt inadequate as a mother.

Christa however, knew child's depression came from more than just her colicky daughter. In all the time Christa had been with the child, Clementine was always in a glum mood once Autumn hit.

October was a tough month for her. It was the month of her birthday, yet the child had no incentive to be enthused about it. It was a reminder of the guardian she had loss. Just six days after her ninth birthday.

* * *

"What day is it?" It was a question Clementine had been asking often.

"According to the twins' chart, it's October tenth. Why do you ask?" Christa said.

"I just wanted to know." Clementine said.

"Right now, you need to eat your breakfast." Christa said to the girl as she handed her a bowl of dry cereal.

"I'm not hungry." Clementine said.

"You need to eat. Besides, you shouldn't take your medicine on an empty stomach." Christa said.

"I don't want any medicine." Clementine told her.

"You have to take your medicine, Clementine. It's vital to your wellbeing." Christa said.

"I don't want it." Clementine said.

"Well you need it. Christa's tone became stern. "You will eat breakfast and take the medicine. Is that understood?"

Clementine didn't answer. She just closed her eyes.

"Clementine-"

Clementine stopped her. "I don't want it."

"Well Clem, how do you expect to stay healthy if you don't eat or take your medicine?" Christa asked.

"I'm not hungry…" The child said again.

"How about some spaghettios?" Christa said.

The girl shook her head. "No thanks."

"But you love spaghettios." Christa said.

"Not today..."

"What's the matter, Clem?" Christa asked the girl, sounding concerned. "What's bothering you?"

"E-Everything…" Clementine whimpered in respond.

Christa sighed and hugged the child. She wished she knew how to make things better for the poor girl.

* * *

Wyatt was pacing, Vince wondered what the man was thinking about. Something was clearly up.

"You alright, man?" Vince asked.

"I guess..." Wyatt said. "I was thinking about going to the church..."

"You sure about that?"

"I've been avoiding it for months... But how can I get any real closure if I keep avoiding it..." Wyatt said. "Eddie was my friend... and friends... they're one of those dead people whose grave you don't want to visit. But I need to... "

"Are you sure you're ready?" Vince asked him.

"I don't know... But I can't keep putting it off." Wyatt said. "Mike died saving me, it'd be wrong of me not to at least pay him my respects."

"Want me to go with you?" Vince offered.

"If you want." Wyatt said. "I could use some support..."

"Alright..." Vince said.

* * *

Christa had suggested Clementine draw, hoping it would take her mind off of things.

Clementine agreed and Christa brought her to her room to do so.

Fifteen minutes had pass before Clementine could hear the twins crying in the living room.

The girl couldn't bring herself to go out to check on them. Instead, she covered her ears and squeezed her eyes closed in a desperate attempt to shut out the cries.

The crying continued… She just wanted it to stop. She wanted to get away from it. "Stop it! Stop it!"

It didn't… She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

* * *

As he had offered, Vince accompanied Wyatt to the gravesite at the garden of the church.

The two were silence for a while before Wyatt let out a sigh.

"I'm sure you weren't expecting me to visit... but here I am..." Wyatt spoke. "This isn't how I thought things would end. Whatever you blamed me for… I wish we could've worked it out in a different way. Believe it or not, I really cared about you, dude… Still do… Rest in peace, Eddie."

Vince reached out to place a comforting hand on Wyatt's shoulder but stopped as they heard a sudden noise of a window breaking.

"What the fuck was that?" Wyatt quickly stood up.

"It sounds like it came from the church." Vince said.

"No shit." Wyatt said.

The two men exchanged looks. Vince drew his gun and the two went to investigate.

They were quiet as they entered the church.

Upon entering, they noticed two men inside the church. Both men were carrying bags, which Vince and Wyatt assumed they planned to fill with supplies. _Their supplies_.

Vince quickly aimed his gun in their direction. "Nobody move!"


	27. Chapter 27

The two strangers whirled around, both quickly putting their hands up.

"Don't shoot!" One of the men said.

"Who are you?" Vince demanded, while keeping the gun aimed at them.

The men didn't respond.

"Did you take anything?" Wyatt inquired.

"No… Just calm down." One of the strangers spoke. "Put the gun down."

"Not happening." Vince said. "Is it just you two? Or do you have a group?"

Once again, the strangers kept quiet.

"Answer me!" Vince ordered. He noticed one of the men reach for his gun and quickly draw it. Vince wasted no time in firing a shot at him, immediately killing him.

The other reached for his weapon, but Vince quickly turn the gun towards him. "Don't even think about it!"

The man raised his hands in surrender.

"Your gun, drop it." Vince ordered.

The man did as he said, grabbing his weapon and tossing it to the ground. He took a deep breath then raised his hands once again.

"I'm not going to ask again, who are you?" Vince asked.

"Does it really matter?" The man questioned back.

"I'm the one with the gun." Vince grumbled. "I'll ask the questions."

"I'm gonna find something to tie him up with." Wyatt said.

Vince gave a nod, keeping his attention to the stranger in front of him.

Wyatt went to find something to restrain the man with.

Vince meanwhile, approached the man, gun still aimed in his direction. "How'd you get into this town?"

"We've had our eyes on this place for a while. It didn't take much to get pass that gate." The man answered.

"Who's "we"?" Vince asked.

"My people and I." The man replied. "You gonna shoot me? You already killed my buddy."

"If you give me a reason, I won't hesitate." Vince responded.

Wyatt returned with some rope, which he used to tie the stranger's hands.

"So what do we do with this guy?" Wyatt asked Vince.

"Go get the others. Tell them what happened, this should be a group decision." Vince said.

"Alright." Wyatt agreed. He glanced to the body on the ground, "We're definitely going to hell."

"We're already in hell." Vince corrected.

* * *

While Wyatt went to retrieve the group members, Vince decided to further interrogate the stranger.

With the man's wrist still tied, he took his weapons and brought him to the office where he proceeded to talk.

The man had no idea what was going to happen, but he didn't ask questions. He merely sat stone-faced and waited.

"You said your people had their eyes on this place? How many of you is there?" Vince asked.

"Enough." The man said.

Vince shot him a look. "Don't be a smartass. Answer the question."

"I got nothing to say to you." The man grumbled.

"Then don't say it to me. Say it to my gun." Vince said. "How many people are in your group."

"I don't do headcounts. Been in and out of too many groups. People leave, people die." The man said.

"Quit bullshitting me. Give me a number. Take a damn guess." Vince said.

"More than ten. They ain't gonna be too damn happy that you killed one of ours." The man said.

"Couldn't take the chance of him shooting me. We got kids here. We gotta make sure this place is safe." Vince said.

"You're not the only ones." The man said. "We've all had kids at some point."

"So you got kids in your group then?" Vince questioned.

"Like I said. I've been in a lot of groups…" The man said. "A group's supposed to be folks you can trust. I wouldn't say I'm in one, unless I know those people got my back."

"Do your people got your back?" Vince asked him.

"That's a good question." The man said.

Vince was starting to get irritated with this guy. "Do you want to end up like your friend? I can easily put a bullet in your head."

"What's stopping you?" Asked the man.

Before Vince could answer he heard the other group members enter the church. He huffed, "Stay put." Before going out to meet the others.

The adults, minus Christa gathered at the front of the church to discuss the fate of the man Vince and Wyatt had caught snooping around.

"So… what are we going to do with him?" Bonnie asked.

"That's why we called you guys here. To figure that out." Vince said.

"Have you tried talking to him? What was he here for?" Russell asked.

"The asshole was speaking in riddles. He's not giving me any straight answers." Vince said.

"Let's just let him go… He was probably just looking for supplies." Luke said.

"If we let him go he could go back to his people and plot an attack against us." Jane said.

"So what do we do then?" Bonnie asked.

"We only have a few options. Either we let him go, or we kill him." Jane said. "Killing him would be our best option."

"It might be our only option." Vince muttered.

The thought sent a shiver up Luke's spine. "Whoa, whoa! Slow down, since when did we become executioners?"

Vince sent him a look, "Well, what's your suggestion?"

"I don't know, but we can't just kill him." Luke said.

"I agree." Sarita said. "It's one thing to defend ourselves, it's another to kill someone… just because."

"We are defending ourselves. We can't let him come back. We have to make sure he never has a chance to hurt anyone of us." Jane said.

"Imagine if you were in his shoes." Luke said. "Guys, come on now…"

"Luke's right. Haven't there been enough deaths lately?" Russell said.

"Looks like we should vote on it." Vince said. "It's probably too risky to let him go… we gotta… do what we gotta do."

"This is crazy…" Russell muttered. "I… I abstain."

"I… I think I'm gonna abstain too." Wyatt said. "It's a tough choice… I'm not ready to make it, but whatever the majority chooses… I'll stand by it…"

"I'm gonna have to be with Vince here… We got kids, we can't take any chance." Kenny said.

"Kenny, we can't just kill him…" Sarita gasped.

"I'm sorry, babe. But things can go south too quickly, and I don't want to take any chances." Kenny said. "I've been in too many shitty situations."

"But it's not right." Sarita said.

"I'm thinking in the kids' best interest. AJ, Clem, the twins… We have to make sure this place stays safe for them." Kenny said. "And if that means we have to kill some stranger to keep him from coming after us, so be it."

"I… I can't do that…" Sarita shook her head. "It's not the right way to go, Kenny…"

"Then I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree…" Kenny said.

Sarita frowned. "I believe so… I don't want to kill someone who doesn't deserve it."

"We don't know if he deserves it or not." Vince pointed out.

"Just let him go. We can't just kill him. It's wrong." Luke said.

"I say we keep him here as a precautionary measure." Carlos suggested.

"Like a prisoner?" Bonnie asked. "That's even worse."

"We all know what we should do…" Jane said.

"I don't want that blood on my hands." Luke argued.

"It won't be. It'll be on ours." Jane said.

"Can't we just let him go and tell him to stay far away from this town." Bonnie said.

"You really think he'd listen? His friend is dead. Whoever he's with isn't going to be happy." Kenny said.

"We can't just let him go, not if he might hunt us down. If we kill him now, he won't be able to attack us in the future." Jane said.

"Just think about this, what if we did kill him, and he's part of a group, bigger than ours. What's stopping them from gunning us down?" Russell said.

"Nothing. But there's less of chance of him leading them to us." Jane said. "We already killed one of their men why spare the other?

"We're not a group of cold blooded killers. Have some humanity, people." Luke said.

"In my opinion, our only options are to keep him in our custody or execute him..." Carlos said.

"You think he should be killed too?" Luke choked.

"Perhaps..." Carlos said.

"What do you think Sarah would think?" Bonnie asked him.

"Sarah doesn't need to be involved in this." Carlos retorted.

"The kids should know what's going on." Bonnie said. "They need to be aware."

"My daughter is not getting involved in this. My main concern is protecting my child. That's what's most important to me." Carlos said. "I'd rather she stays home and read, than decide the fate of a stranger…"

"Fair enough. But keeping this man in our custody takes resources and it puts us at risk. The permanent solution is the better one. We should kill him." Jane said.

"He's defenseless. Besides, we don't know what's going on yet. He might not be a bad person." Sarita argued.

"We can't take a chance. Do you want more people coming after us?" Jane said.

"Of course not, but we can't just kill him in cold blood." Sarita said.

"Sarita's right. Maybe you guys have forgotten your humanity, but we haven't…" Bonnie said.

"Says the woman who provides rum to children." Kenny scoffed.

"I didn't give the children any rum!" Bonnie snapped.

"Enough! We're stuck in a dilemma here. We need to make a decision." Vince said. "I get it, you guys want to keep good morals, but he said he was watching this place. Who knows who he has with him."

"We got guns. If it comes down to it, we'll fight back." Bonnie said.

"And people are gonna die." Vince said.

"So why not keep him here. We'll be able to keep an eye on him, without having to take his life." Carlos said.

"We don't have time to look after prisoners." Jane said.

"We can't kill him! It's not necessary." Luke said.

"Sure we can. I'll do it if you're squeamish." Jane replied.

Luke shook his head.

"Keeping him here is out of the question. It would be a waste of our supplies and it would put us and the kids at risk." Jane said.

"I… I supposed that is true…" Carlos said. "We'll… do what we must."

"So it's decided…." Vince said.

"Wait, where's Christa? She should get a say in this." Russell spoke up.

"She's keeping an eye on the children." Sarita said, getting up. "And I think it's best if I go give her a hand…"

"I'm going too. I don't want any part in this..." Luke said.

Bonnie slowly stood as well, without offering a word. They made their way out of the church.

"Well, who's gonna do it?" Carlos asked.

Vince sighed. "I guess I will."

Vince slowly stood and headed to the room where the stranger was sitting. The man was trying to free his wrist from the binds they were in.

The man jumped when he noticed Vince. "So what happens now? You gonna kill me?"

"That's the plan." Vince said.

"Why didn't you just do it before?" The man asked.

"Wanted to get my groups' thoughts first. You came close to being spared." Vince said.

The man lowered his gaze before sighing, "Wait, I'll tell you whatever you want."

"Is that right?" Vince asked.

The man nodded.

"Alright then, talk." Vince urged.

"I'm from a large group, we had camp a couple miles from here. We figured we could grab some supplies, maybe stay here if we had too, but considering what you did to my buddy, you guys aren't the welcoming types." The man said.

"How many people are in your group?" Vince asked.

"There were seventeen of us, but obviously that number decreased today." The man said. "You asked about kids earlier… I got two of them."

Vince took a deep breath. "You listen to me. You're gonna take your people and you move as far away from this town as possible. If I see you again, you won't be walking away. Got it."

"I hear you."

"Good." Vince opened the door and made his way to the other group members.

"What's going on?" Kenny asked.

"I changed my vote… We're gotta let him go…" Vince said.

"What gives you the right to make that choice?" Kenny demanded.

"You're not the one pulling the trigger, are you?" Vince retorted.

"I damn well will if I have to." Kenny hissed.

"Listen, we're letting him go. Not because we want to, but because it's the right thing to do." Vince said.

"What do you mean? Are you stupid?" Kenny growled.

"He's not a threat. No point in killing him." Vince said.

"Not a threat my ass." Kenny said.

"For once, I agree with Kenny. This is a mistake." Jane said.

"Killing him would be a mistake." Vince said.

"What's with the change of heart?" Russell asked.

"He has a family. Kids." Vince said.

"So do we. If people are bold enough to break into a church, what's stopping them from coming back, and snatching a kid or two." Kenny said.

"We won't let that happen." Carlos said.

"We're low on able-bodied people. He comes with enough back up and we're done for." Jane said.

"It won't get to that. We're going to take some extra measures to make sure this place stays safe." Vince said.

"This is a mistake." Jane stated.

"It's not…" Vince said. "I'm gonna drive him out of here myself…"

"I'll go with you, man. Just to be safe." Wyatt stood up.

Vince nodded. He returned to the office to get the man.

No one said a word as they brought the man outside and Vince ushered him into a truck.

The man got in the vehicle, hands still restrained.

Vince and Wyatt entered the truck as well. Vince started up the truck and began driving.

* * *

The house was completely quiet, a rare occurrence. Christa was seated on the couch, looking through a book. The twins were fast asleep in their cradle while Clementine was resting in her own room.

AJ was crawling around, playing with a toy.

Christa just hoped he would get tired and fall asleep soon as well. She glanced up from her book every so often to make sure that AJ wasn't getting into anything he shouldn't be.

When Christa suddenly heard a knock on the door, her first thought was 'Don't wake the babies'.

She quickly stood to answer, and fortunately the twins remained asleep in their cradle.

When she opened the door, she noticed Luke, Bonnie, and Sarita. "Hey…" Christa said. "Did they make a decision?"

"They… They said they're gonna kill him…" Sarita frowned.

"I guess I can't blame them…" Christa muttered.

"It's not right…" Luke said. "What are we becoming…?"

"Sometimes people have no choice, but to make the hard choice…" Christa said, she moved to let them inside. "I'm surprised to see you here, Bonnie."

"Well, I figured I could see the twins, and say hi to Clem." Bonnie admitted.

"Actually, it's naptime. AJ's the only one in here who didn't get the memo." Christa said.

"Thank you for looking after him." Sarita said.

"No problem." Christa said. "Anyway, Bonnie, you can see the twins. Just don't wake them. Clem and I just got them to sleep a little while ago."

Bonnie nodded in respond.

AJ cooed as he spotted Sarita, a smile on his face. Sarita smiled back at the baby.

Bonnie slowly made her way to the cradle the twins were in. "They're so cute…" She whispered.

"Yeah, they are." Luke said.

"I bet you're happy you can finally dress them in some of the clothes you got them." Bonnie said, noticing the still too big onesies the twins were dressed in.

Fortunately they no longer had to keep the fire running just to keep them warm.

"Except they can barely fit into anything. They're so small…" Luke said. He looked to Christa and asked, "How's Clem doing?"

"She's… not okay." Christa said honestly. "Autumn's a tough season for her."

"Why's that?" Luke asked.

"A lot of reasons… Her birthday's this month." Christa said.

"That's great." Bonnie smiled.

"Her guardian, Lee passed away six days after her ninth birthday." Christa said.

Bonnie's smile quickly faded. "Oh…"

"Oh my gosh… That's awful." Sarita said.

"She blames herself for what happened… She blames herself for a lot of things." Christa sighed. "She… has a lot she's dealing with."

"No kidding…" Luke said. "I feel horrible for her…"

"She doesn't need people to feel bad for her. She needs people to be willing to help her." Christa said.

"How can we help her if she doesn't want it?" Bonnie asked.

"She does. She just doesn't know how to ask for it. She's scared and things aren't easy for her." Christa said.

"If she wants help, why doesn't she let us help her?" Luke asked.

"She doesn't know how to let people help her. How can she when she's been crying for help from the moment that man touched her?" Christa said. "That kid has severe depression, but she'd rather hide it than ask for help."

"And you're saying that's our fault." Bonnie asked.

"I'm saying, how is she supposed to see a "light at the end of the tunnel" when there's darkness all around her?" Christa sighed. "She's afraid to accept the caring and help from others. Because she's scared of how much it will hurt if it's gone. My point is, she shouldn't have to ask for help. We should know when she needs it. Waiting for her to ask, that's the reason she got raped in the first place."

The others lowered their gaze, unable to respond. They knew Christa's words were true.

* * *

Vince drove out of town and as far away from it as he thought was necessary. The ride was a quiet one, both Vince and Wyatt kept their guard up in case the man in the back seat tried something.

Finally, Vince stopped the car. Getting out, he opened the back door and said, "Get out."

The man did so. "Aren't you going to untie me?"

Vince didn't respond as he walked to the driver's seat and stepped inside.

"Aren't you going to untie me?!" The man inquired again.

Vince sent him a look. "Don't forget our deal." With that, he shut the door, turning the car around and driving off.

"You think we did the right thing, dude?" Wyatt asked.

"I hope so." Vince said.

"Me too… You really think he's just gonna back off? I mean his friend got shot." Wyatt said.

"His friend would've shot one of us if I hadn't pulled the trigger. He gave me no choice." Vince said.

"I know… I… I just… feel like I never know what the right thing is anymore." Wyatt said.

"It's not about right or wrong anymore… Our safety is what's important." Vince said. "We've had a tough year. We can't take any more risk."

"Yeah…" Wyatt sighed. "You're right, man…"

Vince gave a nod as he continued to drive. "Try not to worry too much."

"I wish I didn't have to worry at all." Wyatt replied.

* * *

When yet another knock came at the door, the twins both stirred. Christa quickly went to answer it, not wanting them to be woken.

"Hey, Kenny." Christa greeted.

"Hey…" Kenny said.

"The twins are asleep, so keep it down." Christa let him into the house.

As he entered the others sent him looks.

"Is it done?" Luke asked.

"They let him go." Kenny said.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"You heard me. They let him go." Kenny huffed.

"That's good." Sarita said.

"No, babe. It's not." Kenny said. "It's dangerous when stuff like this happens. Ain't nothing stopping fifteen bandits from hopping over the gates and taking us all out."

"That's not going to happen, Kenny." Christa said.

"And how do you know?" Kenny inquired. "I've been through this shit before. Once you think everything's fine, they strike when we're least expecting it."

"We can make sure that doesn't happen." Luke said. "Stop being so paranoid."

"I'm not being paranoid. I'm being cautious." Kenny said.

"Keep it down, you're going to wake the twins." Christa hissed.

"Christa?" Clementine's voice called. The girl slowly wheeled her way into the room, looking confused. "Is… Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, sweetie." Christa said. "We were just talking."

"Okay…" Clementine mumbled.

"Did you need something, Clem?" Christa asked.

"No… I just wanted to see my girls." Clementine said. "Is that okay?"

"You don't have to ask, sweetie. You can see them whenever you want." Christa replied.

"But I don't want to make them cry…" Clementine said.

"Babies cry. That's not your fault. Don't worry." Christa said.

"O-Okay…" Clementine said.

AJ started to coo, and reached toward the girl to pick him up.

"Hey goofball." Clementine smiled before asking Kenny, "Can I hold him?"

"Of course you can, darling." Kenny handed AJ to the girl.

Clementine held the baby, rocking him a bit. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Just… ways to keep this place safe." Luke said.

"But we're already safe, aren't we?" Clementine asked.

The others exchanged looks, figuring Clementine wasn't aware of the break in.

"Yeah, Clem. We're safe here." Luke said.

"That's good." Clementine said.

Kenny opened his mouth, ready to say something. Sarita noticed and quickly spoke first.

"I think AJ's ready for a nap." Sarita said. "We should get him home."

Clementine gave a small pout but nodded when the baby yawned. "Okay…"

She allowed Kenny to take the baby.

"See you later, Clem." Sarita said.

"Bye…" Clementine said.

With that Sarita led her boyfriend out, preventing him from saying anything wrong.

"I should probably go too, let the little ones' get their sleep. It was nice seeing you, Clem." Bonnie said.

"Where's Becca?" Clementine asked.

"She's back home." Bonnie answered.

"I haven't seen her in a while." Clementine mumbled.

"I'll tell her you asked about her." Bonnie told the child.

"Okay." Clementine said.

"I'll catch you guys later." Bonnie said. "See ya, City mouse."

"Bye." Clementine said.

Bonnie made her way out of the house.

Clementine looked to Luke, "Are you gonna leave too?"

"Nah. I figured I'd check in on you and the little ones." Luke said.

"They're resting. We shouldn't wake them up. They'll cry." Clementine said.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I'm not gonna wake them up." Luke said.

"Okay… Can you… Can you play with me?" Clementine asked.

Luke was a bit surprised by the child's request. She'd been keeping to herself so much, that he wasn't expecting that. "What do you want to play?"

"Well… We have to be quiet… So… maybe we can play tic-tac-toe." Clementine suggested.

"Sure, kiddo." Luke agreed.

"Thanks." Clementine said.

* * *

When Bonnie got home she could hear the familiar strumming of a guitar. Becca was actually pretty good, and the daily practice was only making her better.

The woman headed to the teen's room and gave a knock at the door.

"Come in." Becca called, the music stopping.

Bonnie opened the door. "Hey, Becca."

"Hey." Becca greeted back. "So, are they dead."

Bonnie frowned at that. "They let him go."

"You're kidding, right? Why would they do that?" Becca asked.

"He's not a threat to us, Becca." Bonnie said.

"Of course he is. Everyone is a threat." Becca said.

Bonnie frowned at that. "Becca, we can't just kill people. That man did nothing wrong."

"Because he didn't have the chance to." Becca said. "Who's to say he won't come back?"

"He won't." Bonnie said.

"How do you know?" Becca asked.

"I don't… But he has a family… We can't take him away from them." Bonnie said.

Becca just huffed, shaking her head. "This is ridiculous…"

"We did the right thing, Becca." Bonnie said.

"And the right thing, could get us all killed." Becca shook her head in disagreement.

"It won't. Don't be so pessimistic." Bonnie said.

Becca rolled her eyes in response.

It was silent for a while before Bonnie said, "Clementine asked about you."

"What about me?" Becca asked.

"She asked where you were. I guess she's wondering when you're gonna come see her?" Bonnie said.

"I don't know…" Becca said. "Maybe in a few days."

"You know her birthday's coming up." Bonnie said.

"It is?"

"Yeah. She'll be twelve, right?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah…. It's crazy. She's not even twelve yet and she has two kids." Becca sighed.

"Christa said this time of year is hard on her. Maybe we can do something nice for her." Bonnie suggested.

"Like what?" Becca said.

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know. We can try to think of something."

"What about a picnic? One just for Clem." Becca said.

"That's not a bad idea. It would be nice for everyone to have some fun for once." Bonnie said.

"We'll have to let the others know." Becca said.

"Alright then. Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Luke and Clementine played tic-tac-toe until a small cry broke from the bassinet.

The crying slowly grew louder and before long both infants were crying. Luke noticed Clementine drop her pencil and quickly bring her hands to her ears.

"Clem?" Luke called with a frown.

"I don't want to hear them cry..." Clementine said. "They won't stop! They won't stop!"

Christa quickly picked up Crystal rocking the baby while Luke stood to get Aleena.

After several moments the babies started to calm.

As the babies cries gradually died down Clementine slowly uncovered her ears.

"It's alright, they stopped. See." Luke said. "Wanna hold them?"

"N-No! No, they hate me! I know they hate me!" Clementine exclaimed.

"They don't hate you, Clementine. I promise you that." Christa said.

"I don't believe you... Promises are... are just lies!" Clementine whimpered.

"Clem, please. It's not a lie." Christa said as the twins once again started wailing.

Clementine shook her head. "I don't want to hear. Make them stop, make them stop!"

The infants kept crying, urged on by their young mother's panicking.

"They're upset because you're upset. You gotta calm down, Clementine." Christa said.

Clementine didn't respond.

Between all the noise, Christa found herself unable to hold her back when she exclaimed, "Clementine, listen!"

Clementine gave a flinch. She took a deep breath, uncovering her ears as her body shook.

"You need to calm down, you're upsetting them." Christa said.

"They're crying because of me?" Clementine asked.

"They're sad when you're sad. You gotta calm down, okay?" Christa said.

Clementine frowned but slowly calmed down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make them cry."

"I know you didn't…" Christa sighed.

Eventually after some rocking and shushing the twins quieted down.

"I think they're hungry." Christa said. "I'll warm their bottles up."

"Can I... feed them." Clementine asked.

"Sure, Clem." Christa said.

"How about you feed Aleena and I'll feed Crystal?" Christa suggested, knowing that Crystal might be a bit fussier than Aleena.

"O-Okay…" Clementine said.

"Would you like to hold Crystal, while I make their bottles?" Christa suggested.

"Y-Yes please." Clementine said.

Christa handed baby Crystal to Clementine. Clementine rocked her daughter as the infant gave a slight whimper.

"S-She's gonna cry." Clementine stammered, looking nervous.

"Not if you relax… Just stay calm." Christa said.

Clementine gave a tiny nod. "O-Okay."

"I'll be right back." Christa said.

Clementine gently rocked her daughter while Christa went to warm the twins' bottles. Clementine did her best to remain calm, not wanting her baby to cry. "Mommy's here. I got you, Crystal."

The baby whimpered a bit more and Clementine shushed her. "It's okay. It's okay, baby…"

Clementine continued rocking her daughter until Christa finally returned with two tiny bottles.

"I can feed Crystal. And you can feed Leena." Clementine said.

"Alright, sweetie." Christa handed Clementine a bottle which Clementine fed to Crystal.

Christa looked to Luke, who was still holding Aleena. "Want to feed Aleena, or want me to do it?"

"I got it." Luke said.

"Okay." Christa handed him the bottle.

Luke took a seat on the couch and began to feed the baby. Christa kept an eye on Clementine, making sure everything was okay with the girl and Crystal.

Things were calm as the twins drank from their bottles. Christa hoped it stayed that way.

* * *

The town had been quiet for a few days. The group was still on edge after the recent break in and quickly began taking whatever steps they could to make sure the town remained secure.

Clementine was confused whenever she heard the adults anxiously whispering only to quickly quiet down when they saw her. The break in hadn't been brought to her attention. Well, not until Becca came by.

Clementine was surprised to see the older girl, but didn't question her suddenly visit. Instead the two played card games as they usually did.

"Did you hear?" Becca asked after a while.

"Hear what?" Clementine asked.

"About the break in." Becca replied.

"We had a break in? Is everyone okay?" Clementine asked nervously.

"Yeah. Two people broke in, trying to get our supplies. Bonnie said Vince shot one of them, but they let the other guy go." Becca explained.

Clementine's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. Pretty stupid if you ask me." Becca said. "Now we'll have to hope the guy doesn't come back."

"I… I hope he doesn't." Clementine said.

"You know what we need?"

"What?" Clementine asked.

"Watchdogs." Becca said.

Clementine frowned, unconsciously rubbing a hand over her arm. "I don't like d-dogs…"

"You're kidding, right? Why not?" Becca asked.

"They… They bite people. Really hard." Clementine said.

"Dogs are way cooler than cats. You a cat person?" Becca asked.

"I'll stick to hamsters." Clementine replied.

Becca rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about actual dogs anyway. Hell, I can't even remember the last time I saw a dog."

"I can. His name was Sam. He seemed nice at first, but when he wanted my food he bit me, really bad." Clementine said.

"Probably thought you were teasing him. Where'd he bite you?" Becca said.

"My arm. It needed stitches." Clementine explained.

"Well, you're lucky he didn't bite you face off." Becca smirked.

Clementine cringed at that. "I had to stitch it up myself... That's when I met Luke and the others..."

"Whoa, no way…" Becca gasped. "You seriously stitched your own arm? Why didn't Carlos stitch it?"

"They... thought it was a walker bite." Clementine said.

"Damn. That must've been awful." Becca said.

Clementine nodded. "It was... It really sucked. They locked me in a shed. I had to sneak into the cabin and take supplies."

"Yet you say you love Luke?" Becca raised a brow.

"We've come a long way since then." Clementine claimed.

"...I guess so." Becca shrugged. "But like I said before, I'm not talking about an actual dog. Think about it, walkers act like animals, right?"

"Well... yes."

"So why not use them? They react to noise and people. It gets their attention. And it can get ours too." Becca said.

"But... they're not animals." Clementine said.

"Not exactly, but they're close enough." Becca replied. "It could help keep us safe."

"It seems dangerous." Clementine said.

"Everything is dangerous. But the risk of people breaking in is even more dangerous." Becca said.

"Maybe you're right..." Clementine said

"I am right." Becca said. "Trust me."

Clementine kept quiet. She didn't know if that was a good idea.

* * *

"I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened." Jane said.

"We got it under control." Luke said.

"But we don't." Jane said. "Everybody's shaken up about this situation. We should've been prepared for it."

"We'll be fine though. This was just a small setback." Luke said.

"A major setback. Think about the twins. It's not safe for them here." Jane said.

"We just gotta be more careful. The twins are fine. What's not safe is for me to take them out there." Luke said.

"When everyone's on edge like this, things start to go wrong." Jane said. "Groups always tend to fall apart. People aren't as loyal as you think. Answer this, do you even know what loyal means?"

"Of course I do. It's having someone's back. Almost like a best friend." Luke replied.

"Wrong. Loyal supersedes best friends. It's as dependable as the sun rising every twenty-four hours." Jane said. "People aren't loyal. Loyal means you can treat someone like shit and they'll be good to you."

"I... always associated loyal like owning a dog. A dog being a best friend. People treat a dog wrong and the dog still loves them." Luke responded.

"Well, why do you think a dog is more dependable than a cat?" Jane asked.

"I... I don't know..." Luke shrugged.

"It's because dogs are built for abuse. Cat's aren't. People treat their dogs wrong and the dog still loves them. People treat a cat wrong, and the cat will scratch them." Jane said.

"Dogs will bite back if you push them enough." Luke said.

"My point is, people have limits. Loyalty has none. People aren't made for abuse. Eventually they break. Just look at Clementine." Jane said.

"A group is supposed to have each other's backs. That's how they keep from falling apart." Luke said.

"That's the expectation, but not the true reality. Think about it, if it comes down to it, and it's you or them. If they have that decision what do you think they'll choose?" Jane replied.

Luke kept quiet.

"Maybe it seems safe now. But if things were to go wrong, do you really want to be stuck here?" Jane asked. "You got to think about what's best for those twins."

Luke sighed. He didn't know himself what was best for the twins.

* * *

The minute Clementine and Becca heard a cry from the living room, Becca noticed Clementine's expression quickly change.

"Clem, you good?" Becca asked.

Clementine frowned. "They're crying… They're sad…"

"They're babies. That's their job. They eat, sleep, poop, and cry." Becca said.

"They don't sleep. They barely ever sleep." Clementine said. Whenever she heard her twins cry she couldn't help but wonder, why were they so restless?

Becca sighed. "Why don't you go check on them?"

"I… I can't…" Clementine stammered. "They… They don't like me."

"They do like you." Becca said.

Clementine shook her head. "No one likes me."

"Come on, don't start with this shit…" Becca said.

Clementine just lowered her gaze.

"Look, I'll come back when you're done putting yourself down. Later." Becca stood up and made her way out the room.

Clementine was left alone, sitting on her bed. She glanced to her wheelchair as she could still hear the twins crying

She wanted to stop her babies' cries, but she was filled with hesitation. The crying became louder and more insistent, filling every molecule of air in the room.

The ensuing promotion of her children's cries brought tears to her own eyes. She didn't know what to do.

"I don't think Clem's doing well." Becca said.

"What do you mean?" Christa asked as she buttoned up Aleena's onesie. The baby continued her whimpering as Christa picked her up.

"She says the twins hate her." Becca said.

"They don't hate her… She's just under a lot of stress right now." Christa said.

"…When's her birthday?" Becca suddenly asked.

"Hmm?"

"Clementine's birthday is this month, right?" Becca questioned.

"Yeah… I take it Bonnie told you?" Christa asked as she rocked Aleena until the baby quieted down. She knew Clementine wouldn't have mentioned her birthday, she didn't think of it as a good thing.

"Yes. When's her birthday?" Becca asked again.

"The twenty-seventh." Christa replied.

"What day is it?" Becca asked.

"Carlos made a chart to keep track on the twins' development. He puts the dates on there. It's taped to the wall." Christa motioned to the chart.

Becca made her way over, looking at the chart. "Today's the fifteenth?"

"If that's what the chart says. I lost track of the days before, but with the twins here… It's important for us to know how old they are." Christa said.

"So Clem's birthday is less than two weeks away?" Becca noted.

"It's a hard time for her… Try not to mention it." Christa said.

"Yeah… Okay…" Becca sighed.

"You know… You can tell when someone's been hurt. Something changes in their eyes; their pain becomes visible, even when they try to hide it." Christa said. "Clementine been hurt a lot. And I want to try to keep her from hurting anymore."

"I… I understand." Becca said. "I'll uh, come back tomorrow."

"Alright. See you, Becca." Christa said.

"See you."

* * *

When the twins had quieted down, after they were both fed and changed Christa put them back in the bassinet to rest.

With them asleep, she decided to check in on Clementine. She was worried about the young girl. Giving a knock on the door, she slowly entered the room. "Hey Clem."

"Hey…" Clementine said.

"How are you?" Christa asked the young girl.

"I… I don't know…" Clementine said.

Christa sat on the edge of Clementine's bed. "What are you thinking about, Clem?"

"A lot…. I just… things are always so confusing." Clementine said.

"Well, what are you confused about?" Christa asked.

"My daughters…" Clementine replied. "Why don't they love me?"

"Clementine, they do love you." Christa said. "I keep telling you that."

"Then why do they cry so much? They don't act like they love me. Especially Crystal..." Clementine said.

"Crystal has colic, it's when babies cry for hours at a time. And Aleena, remember how she barely cried before, the fact that she can now, means her lungs are much stronger. That's not a bad thing, sweetie." Christa said.

"I don't know how crying can be considered a good thing." Clementine pouted.

"Crying is the only way babies know how to communicate. They can't talk, so they cry." Christa replied.

"AJ doesn't cry as much as they do. He never did." Clementine pointed out.

"All babies are different." Christa responded.

"I know… I just thought I'd be a good mom." Clementine said. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't think it was going to be this hard…"

"You're not a bad mother, Clem. Don't ever think that." Christa said.

"But I'm a kid. A stupid, broken kid." The girl's gaze dropped to her lap. "I'm not supposed to be a mom."

"What are you saying?" Christa asked.

"Jane…. Jane told me I should've… I should've taken her advice…" Clementine said. "She knew this would happen. She knew my kids would hate you."

"They don't hate you, Clem. No one hates you. Whatever Jane says to you, it's a lie." Christa said.

Clementine just frowned.

"I got a question for you." Christa said.

"Okay…"

"Do you love your twins?" Christa asked.

"Of course I do." Clementine said.

"Then think about how you would feel if you didn't have them." Christa said.

"I'd… be sad." Clementine said.

"I'm sure you would. And you're glad to have them, right?" Christa asked.

Clementine nodded. "Yes."

"Then that should be enough. What Jane or anyone else says doesn't matter." Christa said.

"I guess. But why do they cry so much when I hold them?" Clementine asked.

"They cry when anyone holds them. You know that, Clem." Christa said.

"I'm their mother. They're supposed to love me!" Clementine said.

"And they do. I'm sure deep in your heart, you know that." Christa said.

Clementine kept quiet.

"Here is a lesson, Clem. Just because something ugly happened to you, it doesn't mean it has to ruin your life. We can focus on negativity and what we lost, or we can focus on what's invisible."

"Invisible?" Clementine tilted her head in confusion.

"Focus on the people and the life you want to see… It's a real invisible world existing out there… It's called your future. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but you can dream of what you want it to be." Christa said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you can shape your future. Your girls' future. Just because something bad happened in the past, doesn't mean you have to focus on that. We can get broken, but don't focus broken, because you might be cast down, but you're not destroyed." Christa said.

Clementine furrowed her brows, letting Christa's word sink in.

"Listen, I know things have been very hard and I know you have a lot of sadness in you, but I'm here for you, no matter what." Christa said to her.

"For how long?" Clementine mumbled.

"Until the day I die." Christa said.

"I don't want you to die."

"And I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I'm not going anywhere." Christa gently takes the girl's hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm right here with you, sweetie."

* * *

Becca spent the next two days debating with herself on if she should do something for Clementine's upcoming birthday. She hadn't mentioned a word to Clementine about it, knowing the girl wasn't looking forward to the day.

Becca sat outside her house, on the porch steps, strumming away at her guitar.

"You're pretty good." Vince said. "I remember Shel saying you played well."

"Thanks. I've been trying to get back into the playing. I was thinking about performing a song for Clem's birthday." Becca said.

"That's nice of you. Since when did you do nice things like that?" Vince joked.

Becca rolled her eyes.

"When's her birthday?" Vince asked.

"The twenty-seventh."

"Oh. That's not too far away. I can't believe so much has happened in just a year..." Vince muttered. "This was probably the hardest year of her life."

"Yeah..." Becca said. "So, what are you about to do?"

"I'm gonna tap in for Russell. He's been on watch for a while." Vince said.

"If we had watchdogs, it would be better." Becca said.

Vince looked confused. "Watchdogs?"

"Remember that group Shel and I told you guys about? They used walkers as watchdogs." Becca explained.

"How the hell did they do that?" Vince asked.

"They'd tie them up and when people try sneaking around the walkers make noise." Becca said.

Vince paused before saying, "...That's might actually work."

"I know." Becca said. "It worked before. The downside is we gotta feed them."

"Maybe you should tell the group." Vince said.

Becca scoffed. "Like they would listen to me."

"You can give it a try." Vince said.

"I guess. If you tell them you think it's a good idea, they might listen." Becca said.

"Yeah. We're supposed to have a meeting tomorrow, ask Bonnie if you can come. We can bring it up then." Vince said.

"Okay." Becca nodded.

* * *

At the meeting the group members went over different ways to keep the town safe, as well as what their plans should be when winter hit. Once it got colder they were going to have to move from their houses, it would be too much work trying stock up on enough firewood for every individual household. They debated about moving back to the church or one of the larger houses in the town.

"Look, we'll figure that out when we get to it. Right now safety is our number one priority." Carlos said.

"Becca actually made a smart suggestion." Vince spoke up.

"What?" Carlos asked, looking to the teen, who had been sitting quietly up until then.

"We should get some watchdogs." Becca simply said.

"Watchdogs?" Bonnie asked.

"Back in my old group, we had walkers as watchdogs. We'd tie them up and anytime people were snooping around, the watchdogs would let us know." Becca explained.

"So you had lurkers act as guard dogs?" Luke asked.

"It'll keep people from sneaking around." Becca said.

"That's crazy. They're not animals. They used to be… human." Russell said.

"Used to be. They're not people anymore, they're dead." Vince said.

"Still… It's inhumane." Luke said.

"Luke, that's your argument for everything." Jane said.

"Exactly. And it's a valid argument. We shouldn't lose our morals." Luke said.

"It's not about morals. Most people lost them a long time ago." Jane said.

"Maybe you did, but I didn't." Luke said. "We got kids here. I don't want them to grow up thinking killing people or keeping lurkers on a leash is normal."

"Nothing they grow up in is considered normal. You can't shield them from everything, especially not when it comes to protecting ourselves." Jane said.

"I'm shielding them from the unnecessary stuff. I don't want the twins growing up to be sociopaths." Luke said.

"Whoa, who said that would happen?" Kenny asked.

"This world screws people up. I don't want them thinking this stuff is okay." Luke said.

"I'm with Luke. We gotta think about the kids. About the babies. The risk is high enough with them possibly being Bill's…" Bonnie muttered.

The others sent her shocked looks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kenny demanded.

"I'm just saying… We have to be careful…" Bonnie said, rubbing over her arm and looking regretful of what she said.

"They're not Carver's. They're mine." Luke said.

"But… But you don't know that for sure…" Bonnie said.

"Blood or not, those babies are mine." Luke said.

Bonnie paused, "I…If you say so… I just-"

"Just what?" Kenny inquired.

"N-Nothing…" Bonnie quickly stammered.

"Look, if you want to keep those kids safe, maybe getting "watchdogs" isn't a bad idea." Jane said.

"You're kidding, right?" Luke asked.

"No. I'm completely serious." Jane said. "We're low on people. We need to make sure this place is as guarded as it can be."

"Alright then. It's settled." Vince said.

"What?" Russell said.

"We're gonna get some watchdogs." Vince said.

* * *

Much to some of the group member's dismay, Vince and Wyatt had proceeded to find a couple of "watchdogs", as Becca suggested.

Having the "watchdogs" made the group much more alert. They knew keeping walkers tied up could be dangerous, but they also knew they'd react to anyone trying to break in. They kept one by the front gate and two by the church just in case people got too close.

The days continued to go by at a snail's pace. Between rotating guard schedules and checking the fence perimeters, the group was slowly starting to feel safer. Still, feeling safe wasn't enough, knowing no one would be able to break in and slit their throat while the group was sleep was much more reassuring.

It was a slow process, but they needed time to get adjusted to everything that had happened and the changes that were going on.

Everyone's guard was up, no matter how safe things were. They couldn't be too careful.

* * *

With the tension slowly dying down, Becca made up her mind. Even though it may be a waste of time, she was gonna try to make Clementine's birthday somewhat enjoyable.

She decided to try to talk to Sarah. Which meant she would have to get pass Carlos. She knew that wouldn't be easy.

Becca was sure she had been knocking for at least ten minutes before Carlos finally answered the door.

"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked as soon as he noticed her.

"I need to talk to Sarah." Becca said.

"About what?" Carlos questioned.

"Stuff."

Carlos shot her a look before huffing. "She's busy."

"It won't take long." Becca said.

"She can't talk right now." Carlos said.

"I'm not trying to convince her to do anything wrong. I want to talk to her about Clementine." Becca replied. "Please…"

Carlos paused for a moment before asking, "What about Clementine?"

"Her birthday's in a few days... I thought we could have some kind of picnic or something for her…" Becca said. "I need Sarah to help me plan it."

Carlos hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Come inside."

Becca did so.

"You have fifteen minutes." Carlos said.

* * *

"We should do it like a surprise party! It'll be great!" Sarah said.

"You don't think she's gonna be mad about it, do you?" Becca asked.

"Why would she?" Sarah asked.

"Christa told me not to mention it to her. I figured it was a touchy subject…" Becca shrugged.

"But it's her birthday. Birthdays are great." Sarah said.

"Not for everyone." Becca said. "Clementine has a lot of demons we don't know about."

"Demons…?" Sarah repeated.

"Dark secrets. She's had a tough past." Becca said.

"You mean before what happened with C-Carver?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah…" Becca said. "That's why I think we should do something nice for her. Take her mind off the stress for a change. I'll be the first to admit, sometimes I give Clem a hard time, without even meaning to."

"I think this picnic will make her happy… At least I hope so." Sarah said. "I'll make her a card."

"Yeah… While you're doing that, I'll spread the word. We can have it at the park." Becca said.

Sarah nodded in agreement.

* * *

Her depression had been growing as her birthday drew closer, when the day finally came, Clementine couldn't help but be anxious.

She isolated herself, not wanting to interact with anyone. Just the slightest issue and she felt like she would break.

Things were quiet and to her surprise, no one besides Luke had dropped by that day. Clementine felt hurt, it was almost like they forgot about her.

She clung to Promise, biting down on her lip. It had been months since she last hurt herself. So why did she keep feeling the urge to cut herself?

She wanted to cut until she felt better. If she had a knife she would cut until she could breathe normally. People wouldn't understand. They'd just try to stop her like before, but she needed it. Cutting helped her keep going.

Knowing she had nothing to use, she resorted to using her fingernails, digging them into her arm. She gave a slight wince, but feeling the dull ache is not nearly enough.

A sudden knock at the door made her flinch. "W-Who is it?"

"Luke." Came the response.

Clementine quickly pulled her sleeve down. "Come in…"

The door opened and Luke walked towards the young girl. "Hey kiddo."

"Hey…" Clementine greeted back.

"Happy birthday." Luke said.

Clementine's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess." Luke said with a shrug. "I wanted to show you something."

"What is it?" Clementine asked.

"It's outside." Luke told her.

"Outside?"

"Yeah. Would you like to see it?" Luke asked.

"...Okay."

Luke tried to help her in the wheelchair but the girl refused.

"I want to walk." She said.

"You sure?" Luke asked.

"Positive." Clementine said.

"Okay." Luke offered her his hand, helping her down from the bed. He helps support the child's weight as she takes slow, shaky steps.

Her thoughts are jaggedly spinning, and she's nervous, but she does her best to focus on not falling. Each step she takes is a struggle, she feels frustrated.

Eventually they make it to the living room, Luke is half carrying the child.

"Hey, Clem." Christa greets the young girl. "How are you?"

"I'm okay…" Clementine said.

"I got a surprise for her outside." Luke said.

Clementine furrows her brows at the word "surprise". She didn't want a surprise. She didn't think she deserved one. Still, she was curious on what it could be.

"Oh?" Christa asked.

"Yeah." Luke said. "You can come along if you want."

"Nah, can't leave the twins alone. You two go ahead." Christa said.

Luke nodded. "Still wanna walk, kid?"

Clementine frowns. "It's hard."

"It's alright. You just need more time." He picks her up as he walks towards the door. "Close your eyes, kiddo."

Clementine does so.

Luke opens the door and steps outside.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Clementine asked.

"Not yet." Luke said. "Just a bit farther."

Clementine kept her eyes close as Luke continued to carry her.

Finally, having reach their destination, he said, "Okay, open your eyes."

Clementine did so, noticing they were at the park. "What's going on?"

"I figured you could use some fresh air. Wanna ride the swing?" Luke said.

Clementine hesitated before nodding. "…Yes, please."

"Okay." Luke carried her over to the swing a sat her on it. He began pushing the girl. "So how does it feel to be twelve years old today?"

Clementine shrugged. "I feel the same as I did yesterday…"

Luke continued pushing the child. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I don't know… I'm still broken." Clementine said.

Luke sighed at that he continued pushing the child for a few minutes. "Well, I got something else to show you."

"I thought this was the surprise." Clementine said.

"Nope."

Clementine raised a brow as Luke stopped the swing and picked her up.

"Do I have to close my eyes again?" Clementine asked.

"Yep."

Clementine sighed, but did so.

Luke carried her towards from the park, down a short trail and towards a grassy spot under a large tree. "Open them."

Clementine was surprised to see the group members gathered around a picnic.

"Happy birthday!" They called.

Clementine jumped slightly. "W-What's all this for?"

"Christa mentioned this being a rough month for you. So we figured we'd do something nice. Becca and Sarah actually put this all together."

"Really?" Clementine looked to her two friends.

"We wanted you to be happy." Sarah said.

"I figured I could be nice to you for a day." Becca teased.

Clementine felt her heart ache. She didn't deserve this. "But... But I don't deserve this."

"Of course you do, Clem." Kenny said.

Clementine shook her head in disagreement. "I'm naughty... I don't deserve any of this."

"You're not naughty. You deserve much better than this, Clem." Kenny said. "But this is the best we can do and we hope you like it..."

"I… I don't understand why you guys would do this for me…" Clementine felt like she was going to cry.

"You deserve it, sweetie." Sarita said.

Clementine is silent, not knowing how to respond. Since Lee had passed away, since she lost her parents, her birthdays had been full of sadness. How could she be happy when she had loss so much?

Perhaps that's what Christa had meant when she told her to "Focus on the invisible"?

"I bet you're hungry." Luke sat the child down on a blanket. "Let's eat."

The picnic consisted of different canned foods, along with some bread, fruit, and rice. Clementine was surprised when Bonnie offered her a cookie.

"How'd you make those?" Clementine asked.

"It was simple. They're just peanut butter cookies. I figured you might like them." Bonnie said.

Clementine accepted the cookie. "T-Thank you."

She hadn't been on a picnic since she was little. She frowned, as memories of her family flooded to her.

"So, Clem. I've been working on a song." Becca said. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure…" Clementine said.

Becca picked up her nearby guitar and began strumming the strings.

Clementine listened to her and was surprised how well her friend played. She didn't understand why they were doing this for her. It felt wrong…How could she celebrate when so many people had lost their lives, and she felt like she was to blame?

Once the song came to an end the others clapped, pulling Clementine from her thoughts.

"What did you think?" Becca asked.

"It… It was good." Clementine said.

"Thanks, Clem." Becca said, placing the guitar down.

The day flew by as the group sat around eating, joking, and playing music. Eventually the picnic came to an end as it started to fall dark.

Clementine received a variety of presents, including a book and a handmade card from Sarah, a candy bar from Vince, a can of her favorite spaghettios from Luke, some more cookies from Bonnie, and a card signed by Kenny, Sarita and, with clear help, AJ.

She was taken aback by the kindness. This wasn't a day to be celebrated. She had done far too much wrong to deserve good things.

Just as everyone began to leave Jane approached the child.

"Don't think I forgot your present." Jane said.

"You didn't have to get me one." Clementine said.

"Well, I figured it could come in handy." Jane said.

Jane slipped an object wrapped up in some white paper into her hand. Clementine looked to it.

"Don't open it yet. Not until you get home." Jane said.

Clementine gave her a look.

"You should always be able to protect yourself." Jane said.

Clementine ran her hand over the object, giving a single nod.

Jane walked off without another word and Luke approached the young girl.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Luke asked the child as he helped her up.

"I... Yeah..." Clementine said.

* * *

After Luke had brought her back home, he sat her on the couch while Clementine asked to see her twins. The girl spent some time looking after the babies before they fell asleep. Christa noticed the presents that Clementine had and asked if she had fun. Clementine simply nodded, her attention focused on her twins.

"I'm gonna put presents in your room." Luke offered.

Clementine just nodded again.

After Luke brought the child's gifts to her room. He told her he'd come around tomorrow morning before leaving.

Eventually the twins fell asleep and Christa suggested that she and Clementine head to bed as well.

She brought the young girl to her bedroom and tucked her in. "So what presents did you get?"

"Some books… And cards." Clementine said. "Bonnie made peanut butter cookies. And Vince gave me a candy bar."

"That was nice of them." Christa said.

"Yeah…" Clementine agreed.

"And what's that?" Christa motioned to the wrapped object on the nightstand.

"It's nothing…" Clementine said.

Christa quirked a brow.

"I'm tired. We should rest before the twins wake up." Clementine said.

"Yeah… You're right." Christa said. "Goodnight, Clem."

"Goodnight." Clementine said.

The girl laid on her bed in silence after Christa left the room. She couldn't sleep. An hour passed with her tossing and turning. Finally, the girl, gave up on trying to rest and just laid still, looking up to her ceiling. She didn't know how long had passed before she heard Crystal's familiar wail and not too long after Aleena began crying as well.

Clementine wanted to go comfort her children. Wanted to hold them, tell them everything was alright, but she knew it wouldn't help…

Guilt mixed with sadness, swirled her emotions into turmoil. She feels herself trembling as she forces her body into sitting position. The constant noise around her makes her want to scream.

She slowly reaches to the nightstand and grabbed the object Jane had given her. She unwraps it, with shaking hands, already knowing what it is. The knife felt cold as she held it. It felt good to hold a knife after so long. Without hesitation, she sliced it across her arm.

Blood dripped to her bedsheets.

* * *

Christa tried to calm the twins as the cried. She headed to the kitchen to heat their bottles, but sighed as she noticed they were both empty. She knew Crystal didn't like the formula. She was going to have to get Clementine to pump.

She was sure the young girl would do so without protest. It just bothered Christa, to have Clementine do so in the first place. The kid shouldn't have to do that.

Christa slowly walked pass the crying infants, still in their bassinet. She made her way to Clementine's room, knocking at the door.

There was no response.

She wondered if the child had fallen asleep.

"Clem?" She called.

Still nothing.

Christa slowly turned the doorknob, opening the door. "Clem, the twins are out of mi-" Christa stopped mid-sentence as she saw the blood dripping from Clementine's arm.

"What the hell?!" Christa rushed over, grabbing the knife and tossing it to the floor.

Clementine flinched, not saying a word.

Christa quickly grabbed the pillow case, yanking it free from the pillow and wrapping it around the child's bleeding arm. "What did you do?!"

Clementine doesn't respond.

Christa inquires again, in a panic filled voice, _"What did you do?"_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

"G-Give it back! Give my knife-"

"Clementine, no! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself." Christa replied.

"I... I need to be punished! I need to…" Clementine said. "It's my fault Lee's dead! I'm naughty!"

"You're not naughty!" Christa shook her head. "You don't have to hurt yourself, Clem. You don't deserve the pain you're turning on yourself. The people that hurt you are the ones who should have suffered..."

Clementine frowned in response.

Christa continued to hold the pillow case against the child's arm. "Where'd you get the knife?"

"I… found it." Clementine claimed.

"Found it where?" Christa asked.

Clementine didn't answer.

Christa sighed. "Stay here. I'm gonna patch you up."

"I don't want it patched up…" Clementine mumbled.

"Well, that's too bad. I'm not letting it get infected." Christa said.

The child still gave no response. Christa walked over to the fallen knife and picked it up. She then left the room to retrieve a first aid kit.

Clementine just sat silently, looking ahead of her. A dull ache throbbed in her arm, but the girl ignored it.

The twins were still crying from the other room. Christa retrieved the first aid kit before returning to the child's bedroom.

Christa opened the first aid kit and pulled the pillow case from the girl's arm. She used some hydrogen peroxide and began to clean the child's wounds. "You'd been doing so well… What made you do this, Clem?"

Clementine didn't offer a word. She merely gave a few small winces as her wounds stung when Christa cleaned them.

"I'm talking to you. Answer me." Christa said in a stern tone.

"I… I needed to hurt." The child muttered.

"Well, I'm not going to let you hurt yourself, Clementine. Whoever gave you that knife is an idiot." Christa said.

"I said I found it." Clementine mumbled.

"And I don't believe that." Christa said.

"I'm not lying…" Clementine claimed. "I'm not a liar!"

"Well, even if you're telling the truth, it doesn't matter. You're not getting the knife back." Christa replied.

Clementine bit at her lip, wanting to protest but knowing there was no use.

"I know you miss Lee, but he wouldn't want you hurting yourself like this." Christa said.

"I know…" Clementine said as she lowered her gaze.

"So you have to stop doing it… It's dangerous." After cleaning the girl's bloodied arm, Christa started to bandage the wound. "I love you, Clem. I don't like to see you hurt."

Clementine frowned, she could hear the twins still crying from the other room.

"My girls are c-crying." Clementine said.

"They're hungry." Christa said once she finished bandaging the girl's arm.

"Can I feed them?" Clementine asked.

"They're out of milk." Christa said. She put away the supplies and closed the first aid kit. She picked up the bloodied pillow case and the first aid kit. "You get some rest. I'll give them formula for tonight."

"But… But I can pump…" Clementine said.

"Just get some sleep." Christa said before leaving the room.

Clementine was sure her guardian was mad at her. But she didn't understand, she had needed to cut.

It wasn't long until Clementine heard the twins finally start to quiet down.

Clementine waited until the house was complete silent before she slowly forced her way from bed and stumbled to her wheelchair. She grabbed the twins' empty bottles from the table and headed back to her room. Once there she grabbed the breast pump from the nightstand, before shakily making her way back to her bed.

She began pumping until she had finally filled both bottles. She placed them on the nightstand along with the breast pump before laying down and drifting to sleep.

* * *

"Clementine, we need to talk." Christa said to the young girl.

Clementine didn't make eye contact.

The woman took a seat by her. "I want to talk to you about last night"

Clementine held onto Promise, keeping quiet.

Christa got straight to the point. "Why did you cut yourself, Clem?"

"Because I wanted to..." Clementine replied without hesitation.

"Were you mad at yourself? Or were you sad?" Christa asked.

Clementine shrugged. With a blank expression she replied, "I don't know. I just felt like doing it."

Christa can feel her stomach turn at the response. "Did you want to die when you cut yourself?"

"No..." Clementine said.

"Then why would you do it?" Christa's voice sounded impatient.

Clementine finally looked to her. "Because... Because I... like it."

"You like pain?" Christa inquired.

Clementine frowned and shook her head. "N-No... I just... need to feel it..."

"Why do you need that?" Christa asked.

"You don't understand… It makes the pain go away…" Clementine mumbled.

"It makes you feel more pain, Clem." Christa said.

"It makes the pain in my heart go away…" Clementine said.

"Only for a little while, and then that pain is back. You got to stop this, Clem." Christa said. "How do you feel if you don't cut yourself?"

"I feel bad." Clementine said.

"Where do you feel bad?" Christa asked.

"Inside..." Clementine said. "My heart feels... sadness."

"And what happens when you do cut yourself?" Christa questioned.

"I feel good..." The child breaths a quivering breath. "My sadness goes away..."

"So it doesn't hurt?" Christa asked.

"It hurts after. It always hurts after... But while I'm doing it, I do it, it feels like I'm not even there..." Clementine said. "You should try it."

"No thanks." Christa said, surprised by the child's words. "And you're not gonna do it anymore either. Cutting is dangerous, even if you don't want to kill yourself, there's still a chance you could cut too deep. Or your wounds could become infected."

"They won't get infected. I can take care of it." Clementine said.

"If you cut yourself and the wound isn't treated fast enough, it can become necrotic. Not only would your wound be infected, but your muscles and bones could get infect too." Christa said.

Clementine furrows her brows.

"If your muscles and bones get infected, we'd have to amputate." Christa said.

The color from Clementine's little face drained.

"Look at me." Christa orders.

Clementine slowly does.

"Promise me you won't cut anymore." Christa said.

Clementine tried to look away, but Christa stops her.

"Promise me." Christa said.

"I… I'll try not to." Clementine said.

"I guess that's the best I can ask for." Christa sighed. "I'm going to make you some breakfast, alright."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

* * *

When Luke came over, Christa immediately approached him and hissed, "Who gave her the knife?"

"W-What?" Luke stammered, looking confused. "What knife? What are you talking about?"

"Clementine cut herself last night. Someone gave her a knife." Christa said. "Who was it?"

Luke's eyes were wide. "I didn't see anyone give her a knife…"

"Then how the hell did she get it?" Christa inquired.

"I… I don't know. She must've…" Luke stopped himself as he recalled Jane lingering around and handing the child a present once everyone had left. "Fuck…."

"What?" Christa asked.

"I… I didn't think anyone would give her a knife…" Luke said. "Is she okay?"

"She didn't bleed out, fortunately. But no, she's not okay." Christa said.

"I thought she wasn't cutting anymore. She hasn't done it in months." Luke said.

"She hasn't had access to a weapon…" Christa pointed out. "Who gave it to her…"

"I don't know." Luke replied.

Christa shot him a look. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not. I really don't know who gave it to her, but I'll ask around. I'll figure it out." Luke said.

"Alright, and until then, no one comes over to visit. I'm not taking any chances. Either there were malicious intentions, or someone was just being negligent, but everyone here knows Clem has cut before and the fact that someone gave her a knife bothers me." Christa said.

"When you say no visits, you mean…?" Luke furrowed his brows.

"I mean no visits. I can't trust anyone around her." Christa said.

"Does that include me?" Luke asked.

"You're here now, aren't you? I'll let you be the exception. Only because you help out with the twins." Christa said.

Luke sighed in relief.

"I don't know how much longer I can put up with this." Christa said.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"I'm worried about her… And as much as she cares about this group, staying here isn't helping her mental state." Christa said.

"So… What do you want to do?" Luke asked her.

"I'm thinking about Wellington. If it's out there, it could be great. A safe place for the twins. They'd probably have a counselor Clementine could talk to…" Christa said. "I don't know… But when it comes down to it, I gotta do what's best for Clem and the twins."

"What's best is staying here. We don't know if Wellington even exist." Luke said.

"Which is why I haven't packed up and left yet." Christa said. "I'm just saying, the thought has crossed my mind."

"Yeah… You're not the only one…" Luke muttered.

* * *

Everytime he saw Jane a question was bugging him. He wanted to know if she was the case behind the knife incident. He didn't want to offend the woman if his assumption was wrong, but he had to ask.

"Jane, can we talk?" Luke asked when he saw her.

"Sure. What's up?" Jane asked.

Luke got straight to the point. "Did you give Clem a knife?"

Jane said nothing for a moment before sighing, "She told you?"

"So you did?" Luke asked.

"Well of course. I figured she should have something to protect herself." Jane said.

"She didn't tell me. Christa told me that Clementine cut herself. I assumed you were the one who gave her the knife, I just didn't know for sure…" Luke said. "Why would you do that?"

"I... I thought she was pass the cutting stuff." Jane said.

"Not completely. She wasn't cutting because she couldn't. If she has access to a knife, she's not gonna hesitate to slice it across her wrist." Luke said. "This is a tough month for her, Jane. She lost her guardian just days after her birthday."

"Damn…" Jane said. "I had no idea."

"We gotta be careful with her… She's fragile." Luke said.

"Yeah... I'll keep that in mind. I just figured that after the break in, it would be good for her to have a source of protection. I wasn't expecting her to cut herself. So... sorry." Jane shrugged.

"We can't just give her weapons. It's dangerous." Luke said.

"Not being able to protect herself is even worse. Look... Maybe I should talk to her. It might help." Jane said.

"Christa said she's not allowing anyone over. She doesn't want to take the risk of Clem getting hurt." Luke said.

"I wasn't trying to hurt her. And I'm not going to." Jane said.

"Christa said it, not me. She's just being protective and I don't blame her." Luke replied.

"Christa's overprotective. That's the issue. Clem's being coddled too much. People need to give her a chance to breathe." Jane said.

"Giving her attention isn't the same as coddling. Besides, she's still a little kid, Jane." Luke said.

"Treating her like a little kid will only get her killed. She should have something to defend herself with, because you never know when shit's gonna hit the fan." Jane said. "Where's the knife now?

"Christa has it." Luke answered.

"She should give it back." Jane said.

"Whoa, hold on. I just told you Clem used the knife to cut herself. Why would she give it back?" Luke asked.

"Because it's not meant to hurt her. It's for her protection." Jane said.

"But she'll still use it to hurt herself." Luke pointed out.

"If she does, maybe if people don't make a big deal out of it she'll stop." Jane said.

"You want us to just dismiss or ignore it? She could die, Jane!" Luke replied.

"That's not what I'm saying. When she cuts herself, make her treat her own injuries instead of doing it for her. She probably doing this for attention." Jane responded.

"And it could kill her! Regardless of if she's doing it for attention or not doesn't matter. We can't just give her a knife and enable her to hurt herself!" Luke exclaimed.

"If she really wants to hurt herself, she'll find a way to do it." Jane said. "And no one will be able to stop her."

"Jane…"

"The more you try the worse it will get. Until you eventually realize it was never helping in the first place. Jamie taught me that." Jane said.

Jane turned and walked away before Luke could get another word out.

* * *

The next few days, Christa found herself extremely concerned. Clementine was in a dark state and Christa didn't know how to fix it.

The woman attempted to build up Clementine's positive views on herself, but Clementine would often revert back to negative self-thoughts. She held strong negative self-attributions, viewing herself as "No good" and many other things.

On various occasions, Christa would catch the child digging her nails into her palms or her arms. Christa would quickly stop and scold the girl. However, the behavior didn't stop.

Christa constantly checked the girl for injuries, while making sure she had no way of finding the knife that the girl continuously begged Christa to give back.

Christa kept her word on not allowing visits. She didn't want to take the chance of someone saying something or doing something that caused the child to hit rock bottom.

"Christa…"

Christa glanced over to the child who was seated in her wheelchair, rocking baby Aleena. "Yes, Clementine?"

"Can I use my knife?" Clementine asked in a tiny voice.

"For what?" Christa asked back.

"I… I wanted to cut my hair. I'm supposed to keep it short." Clementine said.

"Well… I'll cut it for you then." Christa said.

"I can do it by myself." Clementine said.

"I'm sure you can. But I insist." Christa replied.

Clementine fell silent, knowing there was no use in arguing.

Christa stood and went to get a pair a scissors. Once she returned she removed the child's hat. "How about I put Aleena in her cradle so she can sleep?"

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Christa took the infant and placed her into the bassinet. "You're a good mommy, you know that? The twins really love you."

"I love them too…" Clementine said.

"I know you do." Christa said.

Clementine slowly took out her hair ties, and placed her cap in her lap. She frowned as she looked at the objects.

"Alright… Let's cut this hair." Christa said.

Clementine gave a small nod as Christa began trimming her hair.

* * *

When Carlos came knocking on the door Christa had to resist the urge to ignore it. Considering Carlos rarely came by and when he did he didn't stay long, Christa allowed him inside. Sarah was with him, but Christa knew the teen hadn't given Clementine the knife. Those two weren't even in her list of culprits.

"You here to check on the twins?" Christa asked.

"That's partially the reason." Carlos said.

"What's the other part?" Christa asked.

"I wanted to see Clementine." Carlos replied.

Christa was somewhat surprised to hear that. "What for?"

"I was thinking tomorrow would be a good time to start her physical therapy." Carlos said.

Christa paused, "That probably a good idea." She knew being in the wheelchair frustrated Clementine, if they could start working on helping her walk again, maybe the child would be less gloomy.

Carlos nodded. "I figured we can try tomorrow and see if she's ready. It's going to be a slow and lengthy process so we have to be patient with her."

"Yeah, I'll talk to her. I'm sure she's ready to start." Christa said.

"Alright." Carlos agreed. "How's she doing?"

Christa sighed, "She's been hurting herself again… She cut herself with a knife the other night… I'm keeping a close eye on her so things don't get out of hand."

"She still doesn't realize how dangerous cutting is…" Carlos huffed.

"I think she does… Just in the moment, she can't bring herself to care." Christa said.

"That's not good." Carlos replied.

"I know…" Christa said. "She'll get pass it. I hope…"

"For her sake, I hope so too." Carlos said.

* * *

When Christa and Carlos had suggested the idea of starting physical therapy to Clementine, the child's little face lit up in a way Christa hadn't seen in so long.

"Then I can walk again?" Clementine asked.

"Eventually you'll be able to… But remember what I said before, it could take up to a year for you to be able to walk properly again." Carlos said. "We have to take things slow."

"Can I try now? Please?" Clementine begged.

"Not now… First thing tomorrow morning, alright?" Christa said.

"Okay..." Clementine said. "What if I mess up?"

"Then we can try again. There's no need to rush." Christa said.

"You can't rush it. This is going to be a slow process. You just gave birth a few months ago and you're recovering from a fracture coccyx." Carlos said.

"I just want to walk… without needing help." Clementine said.

"And we'll keep working at it until you can. Okay?" Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

* * *

The next day, Clementine began her physical therapy to get her mobility back. It annoyed the girl that she could only walk a few steps. Her balance was damaged and she would often stumble, before falling altogether.

Clementine would do whatever exercise Carlos told her, then try to walk. She quickly became frustrated and embarrassed. She felt like a baby.

Christa would encourage her to keep trying. Clementine did, she was determined to be walking before a year had passed.

It was difficult, and the more frustrated the child became the more Christa started to wonder if it was too early to start her daily therapy.

Christa spent the rest of the day trying to think of ways to help the girl, who seemed to constantly bottle up her emotions. When finally, she had an idea.

* * *

The next morning Christa entered Clementine's room, a notebook in hand. "Good morning, Clementine."

"You shouldn't say that…" Clementine mumbled.

"Say what?" Christa said.

"Good morning… It's a bad habit to say good morning, when nothing's good." Clementine said.

"And why do you think nothing's good?" Christa asked.

"Because I'm sad all the time. And I always want to cut…" Clementine replied.

"Well, you don't have to cut. And you don't have to be sad all the time." Christa said. "You know a good way of getting out emotions?"

"How?"

"You should write them down. In a diary." Christa said, showing her the journal.

Clementine look to it for a moment. "Do I have to write only good things?"

"No…" Christa said. "You can write whatever you want in it..."

"Even the bad things?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, Clem..." As much as Christa didn't want the girl to focus on negative thoughts, writing them out might help her. She was sure that allowing the child to write down her thoughts and feelings positive or negative would be more beneficial than having her focus on a restricted range. "You can write down all your feelings, good and bad. A diary is like a best friend."

"I already have a best friend. It's Promise..." Clementine said.

"Okay, you and promise can share the diary then." Christa said.

"Okay..." Clementine said.

"Happy birthday, Clem." Christa handed the child the notebook.

Clementine accepted it. "Thank you..."

* * *

As the days drifted by the weather was becoming indecisive. Between cold days, and days to be expected during the fall season, the group knew by time the winter hit the weather would definitely be freezing.

Once December had come along the group started arguing, debating on if they should move back into the church or stay where they were. And before long they were once again caught in a flurry of drama.

Jane was sick of the back and forth between the group. This group was definitely cracking. She didn't know how much longer she would stick around.

As Jane tossed some uncooked meat towards the walkers by the gate, Luke watched, looking uncomfortable as he saw the creatures eat the meat.

"This is disgusting. We shouldn't have lurkers as guard dogs…" Luke commented. "It's just crazy…"

"The walkers don't concern me. The way everyone acts does." Jane said.

"What do you mean?" Luke raised a brow.

"You know this town sticks out like a sore thumb. Yet, everyone's acting like we have nothing to worry about but we do. I think that's crazy." Jane said.

"Everyone's been on edge… I think it'd be nice for things to calm down." Luke said.

"I know one thing, I'm not sticking around here. I'd rather not wait for trouble to make its way here. If you're smart, you'll leave too." Jane said.

"I can't just leave. I gotta be here for the twins." Luke replied.

"Are you sure? Do you think the twins are really worth it? They'll just drag you down in the end…" Jane said.

"How can you say that?!" Luke hissed.

"I'm just warning you. Babies can't defend themselves. They can't watch your back. If you were surrounded by walkers, they'd do more harm than anything. They cry, and the dead would be on top of you." Jane said.

"Well, I'm not just leaving them. They're my responsibility. I love those kids." Luke argued.

"Suit yourself." Jane shrugged.

"So how much longer are you going to stick around? You keep mentioning leaving, I figured you would've taken off by now." Luke said.

"I guess I wanted to see if things would work out here… But clearly that's not the case." Jane said.

"There's a lot going on. Everyone's just stressed out." Luke told her.

"Exactly, that's why I don't think sticking around is a good idea." Jane said. "Stress makes people do crazy shit. Unless you want to be stuck in the middle of a war zone, you should leave too."

"I already said, I'm not leaving the twins." Luke said.

Jane didn't say anything for a moment. She looked as if she was thinking before finally speaking, "Well… why not take them with us then?"

Luke was in no way expecting that suggestion. "W-What?"

"We can take the twins with us." Jane said.

Luke looked surprised. "What about Clem? We can't separate her from her own kids."

"Who says we have to. We can take her too." Jane said.

"Whoa, hold on… We can't just take them." Luke replied.

"Of course we can. It's pretty simple." Jane said.

Luke shook his head. "Jane, it's not right."

"What's not right is to leave them here with all this drama. Do you really think Clementine should have to deal with this constant arguing? Being around all this stress is going to make her hyper-attuned. Think about her mental state." Jane said. "Hell, think about the twins… You don't want them growing up surrounded by all this dysfunction?"

Luke sighed, he knew she had a point. "But… where would we go?"

"Anywhere but here." Jane said.

Luke frowned. "We're safe here."

"Keep telling yourself that. I'm sure you don't believe it." Jane said. "…Luke, this could be a new beginning. Just think about it."

As Jane turned to walk away, Luke was left to ponder on her words.

* * *

Clementine had been writing nonstop. Recording her thoughts in her diary allowed her to vent her pent-up emotions.

Christa had allowed the girl her privacy but over time she grew more interested. She decided to sneak a peek into the girl's journal.

The first few entries started out innocent enough. Clementine had written stuff such as how much she loved the twins, or how she hoped AJ and the twins would be best friends once they were older.

She wrote about the things and people she missed. And how she wanted to play more with Becca and Sarah.

As Christa flipped through, she noticed things slower get darker. Clementine had written describing the hurt and turmoil she felt. She wrote about her problems, pains and any unpleasant feelings and several times Clementine mentioned wanting to cut. Needing to cut.

Christa frowned. As she read a certain page.

" _Christa won't give me my knife back. Jane said it's to defend myself, but I just want to cut."_

Christa read that over and over. Her eyes narrowed as she read Jane's name. She closed the journal. She needed to talk to Clementine.

When morning came Christa headed to the girl's room to confront the child.

"Clementine, remember when you cut yourself… Where did you get that knife?" Christa asked the girl again.

Clementine furrowed her brows. "I told you… I found it."

Christa shook her head. "And where exactly did you find it?"

"In… In a secret place…" Clementine said.

Christa knelt down by the child. "Jane's the one who gave you that knife, isn't she?"

Clementine gasped before frowning and confirming with a nod. "…Yes…"

Christa frowned.

"Don't be mad…" Clementine said.

"I'm not mad at you, hon." Christa assured.

"Don't be mad at Jane. She didn't tell me to cut… I just… I had to…" Clementine said.

"Don't worry, Clem. You're not in trouble." Christa simply said. She did her best to keep her anger intact, as she thought about confronting Jane.

She waited until Carlos and Sarah had come by. Asking, Carlos to keep an eye on Clementine and the twins, Christa promptly headed over to Jane's house.

Once there, she harshly knocked on the door until it opened. Christa pushed her way inside to the living room.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Christa exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked, looking confused.

"You gave Clementine that fucking knife!" Christa snapped at the woman.

"Is that what you came, banging on the door for? Just calm down, would you?" Jane said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Christa hissed. "Why the fuck would you give my girl a knife?"

Jane shrugged. "I figured she needed something to protect herself."

"She used it to cut herself! Everyone knew she was depressed, so why would you give her a knife?" Christa inquired.

"Why not?" Jane simply replied.

"She could've killed herself!" Christa snapped.

"She wouldn't be the first. If she wants to kill herself you won't be able to stop her!" Jane said. "You can't save everyone. Don't force her to march through hell for you."

Christa narrowed her eyes at the woman, and before Jane could react she felt a harsh slap to her face. "You stay the hell away from my girl. I can't trust you, and I won't hesitate to protect Clementine and those twins."

Jane brought a hand to her cheek, eyes wide in shock.

"Is everything okay?" Luke entered the room and made his way

Christa ignored him as she said to Jane, "I hope I've made myself clear."

The woman left the house without another word, Jane glared at her back as she left.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked.

Jane was quiet for a moment. "Have you thought about leaving yet…?"

* * *

As the weather continued to change the group decided it would be better to move to the largest house in town.

As much as Christa wanted to stay put to avoid certain people, she knew that she needed to think about what was best for Clementine and the twins. Reluctantly they packed up their stuff.

"Why do we have to leave…?" Clementine asked as she held onto Promise.

"Because it'll be more convenient for the group if we're all in one spot. We won't have to gather as much wood and we can keep a better eye on our supplies." Christa said.

"But I like it here. Promise and I want to stay." Clementine said. "My girls want to stay."

"I know, but we can't, sweetie." Christa said.

Clementine frowned.

"Let's look on the bright side. You'll be able to play with your friends. And you can practice your walking more since Carlos will be there." Christa said.

"I don't have any friends…" Clementine said. "Promise is my only friend."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because… He's the only one who always spends time with me…" Clementine said. "He's the only one who cares about me."

"Sarah and Becca care about you. Everyone here cares about you." Christa said.

"Carver says they don't." Clementine said.

"Carver's dead, Clem." Christa replied.

"But he told me…. He told me that no one cares about me." Clementine said.

"Well, Carver is a liar. Nothing he says is true." Christa said. "A lot of people care about you."

"Okay…" Clementine mumbled.

"Alright, I think we got everything we need. I'll come back for the other stuff later." Christa said.

Clementine nodded.

"How about you let Promise sit beside you, so you can hold the twins?" Christa said.

"Okay." Clementine agreed. Placing Promise beside her in the wheelchair.

Christa picked the infants up and placed the twins into Clementine's arms.

"Who's gonna get their cradle?" Clementine said.

"We'll get some of the guys to." Christa said as she started pushing the girl's wheelchair outside.

"Okay." Clementine said.

Once they were on the porch Christa stopped the wheelchair and closed the door. "I'm going to carry you to the bottom step, okay? Then you can sit there so I can bring your chair down."

"Can't we leave it here?" Clementine asked.

"Not until you can walk better." Christa said

"I can. I can balance a little longer than before." Clementine said.

"I know, but you still need more time before you can get rid of your wheelchair." Christa replied.

"Okay." The child sighed.

Christa picked the girl up, as Clementine carefully held the twins. She carried the child down the stairs and sat her on the bottom. She then proceeded to get the wheelchair and bring it down the stairs.

"I'm going to miss this house..." Clementine mumbled.

"Yeah... it was a nice little place." Christa said as she placed the wheelchair on the ground.

"We always have to move around." Clementine said. "It sucks…"

"I know Clem... but just bear with it, okay..." Christa picked the child up and placed her in the wheelchair. She began pushing the wheelchair towards the house the group was going to stay in.

"I'll try. I just hope everyone is nice to each other." Clementine said. "I hate when people argue."

"Well, hopefully they don't argue." Christa said.

"Yeah..."

When they arrived at the large home Christa spotted Vince who had been sitting on the porch approached and offered to help them into the house.

"I'll bring the twins inside, you mind helping Clem?" Christa asked.

"No problem." Vince said.

"But I want to hold them…" Clementine protested.

"You will, once we get inside." Christa took the twins from Clementine and headed into the house.

"Come on, kid." Vince said.

"I can walk." Clementine claimed.

"Are you sure?" Vince asked.

Clementine nodded. Vince slowly took her hand helping her stand the girl stumbled a few steps then nearly fell. Vince quickly caught the girl. "You okay?"

Clementine said nothing as she frowned. She was sick of not being able to walk on her own.

"How about a piggy-back ride?" Vince offered.

Clementine was silent for a moment before mumbling, "Okay…"

Vince allowed the child to climb onto his back while he grabbed the wheelchair. He carried the child and her wheelchair into the house.

* * *

After everyone had settled into the house, Christa asked for some help with gathering the twins' cradle and the children's clothing. Vince, Wyatt, and Kenny offered to help out.

Sarita kept an eye on Clementine and the twins while they were gone. However, when AJ started whining, Sarita went to retrieve his bottle, asking Luke, who had been talking to Jane to sit with the young girl until she finished making AJ's bottle.

Luke agreed and made his way over to the child. Jane followed, despite recalling Christa's words to stay away from the young girl.

"Hey kiddo." Luke greeted the little girl as he sat on the couch by her.

"Hey." Clementine greeted back.

"How are you feeling?" Luke asked.

"I don't know…" Clementine shrugged.

"Well…How are the twins?" Luke asked.

"They're sleepy." Clementine said. "And they miss our house."

"I'm sure." Luke said.

"I wish we didn't have to move." Clementine said. "I liked it there."

"The only reason everyone moved is because they're nervous." Jane piped in.

"Nervous about what?" Clementine asked.

"You haven't heard? They're nervous about the people snooping around." Jane said.

Clementine gave a confused look. "Snooping around?"

"Yeah... They're scared we'll have another break in." Jane stated.

"Jane..." Luke said.

"You know that's the reason they moved everyone here. It has nothing to do with wood. It has to do with fear." Jane said. "They want to keep everyone close so they can make sure people are safe."

"But… But we're already safe. Right, Luke…?" Clementine asked.

"Of course, Clem." Luke said.

"Our safety's only temporary if we stay here." Jane said.

Clementine frowned at that.

Before Jane could say anything else the front door opened and the Christa and the others entered.

Christa told the men to put the bassinet and the children's clothes into a large room that she would be sharing with Clem and the twins.

As the guys headed to do so, Christa spot Jane and Luke sitting with Clementine.

She immediately went over to them. "What are you guys talking about?" Christa asked.

"Nothing important." Jane said with a shrug. Without another word she turned and walked away.

"Thanks for looking after them, Luke…" Christa said.

"No problem…. Uh, is everything okay?" Luke asked.

"Yeah… Don't worry…" Christa said. "Can I talk to Clem for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure…." Luke stood up and walk off, allowing them some privacy.

Christa looked to Clementine. "Hey, sweetie. You okay?"

"I… Yes…." Clementine nodded.

"What were they saying to you?" Christa asked.

"Nothing…" Clementine mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Christa questioned.

"Yes…" Clementine said.

Christa didn't believe the child was okay, but she didn't push the issue. "We got the cradle…" Christa informed her.

"That's good…" Clementine said.

"Yeah."

The child was quiet before saying, "Christa… Are we safe here?"

"Why do you ask me that?" Christa asked the child.

"Because… I'm worried. I don't want anything bad to happen." The girl replied.

"Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise you that." Christa reassured the girl.

"I… I'm scared…" Clementine admitted.

"Don't be…" Christa knelt in front of the young girl. "Look, we're safe. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. No matter what happens, we're going to be alright."

"I hope so…"

"If things don't work out here, we'll go to Wellington." Christa said.

"Is Wellington really…out there?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know for sure… But if things come to it we'll see for ourselves." Christa said.

"Not everyone believes in it…" Clementine said.

"Then not everyone will have to go. If things don't work out here, we'll head to Wellington with or without the group. We've made it on our own before. We can do that again." Christa replied.

"I don't want to lose you again…" Clementine said.

"You won't… I'm staying with you." Christa said. "I'm not going anywhere, Clem."

"Thank you."

* * *

Just when things started to calm down, tensions built back up. The false peace was short-lived, just as the previous episodes of calm had been. Despite all the space in the house, after months of being separate the group members were once again clashing with one another's personalities.

Only days within moving into the house did the arguing started. Disputes weren't uncommon among group members. As the group members started bickering, Jane would continuously point out to Luke, and whenever she could, Clem, how the group was falling apart.

As much as Clementine enjoyed being with her friends and having help with her physical therapy, she didn't want to hear everyone else fight.

Now seated on her bed, Clementine writes in her diary as her twins are sleeping in the bassinet and Christa lays beside her.

 _Dear Diary... I really miss the other house. It's only been three days and already everyone's fighting. They're always blame each other for everything. "Who touched this?" or "Who left this out?" The word Who always starts an argument. People are mean! Sometimes I feel like I should kill myself, but I keep changing my mind. My girls need me._

Clementine pauses her writing for a moment and looks over to the window.

She lowers her gaze and starts to write again,

 _Every time I look out the window I feel a certain type of peace... If I just jumped out maybe thing would be better. If I was dead the group wouldn't have to worry about another mouth to feed. But my girls need me. I just want the fighting to stop…_

"Clem?" Christa suddenly called.

Clementine closed her diary and placed it down. "Yes?"

"Go to sleep, sweetie." Christa said gently.

"Okay…" Clementine laid down without protest.

* * *

The stress was starting to get to Clementine the girl tried writing her feelings in her diary, but it didn't help. More and more she felt the urge to cut, but she had nothing to cut with. She wanted her knife back!

"How come you're so quiet?" Becca's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"I'm not." Clementine said.

"Yeah you are. What's the problem this time?" Becca asked.

"There's no problem." Clementine said.

"But you're not even paying attention to the game." Sarah said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Clementine was quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you two like it here?"

"It's a nice house. A lot of space." Becca said. "It would be better if the grownups would shut up."

"It's pretty here. I just don't like all the arguing." Sarah said.

"Yeah... it's annoying. I keep trying to block them out but it's hard..." Clementine said. "If only..."

Becca raised a brow as the younger girl trailed off. "If only what?"

"If only I had my knife..." Clementine mumbled.

"You don't need a knife." Becca said.

"Yes I do." Clementine said.

"Why so you can cut yourself?" Becca questioned.

"Maybe..." Clementine mumbled.

"That's crazy. What are you a psychopath?" Becca asked.

Clementine frowned at that. "What?"

"How can you purposely cut yourself?" Becca said.

"It's easy." Clementine said. "I... I just slice."

"Doesn't it hurt?" Sarah asked, cringing a bit.

"After. It always hurts after." Clementine said.

"Then why do you do it? That doesn't make any sense." Becca said.

"Because I like it... you don't understand." Clementine said.

"No. I don't. I think you're being an idiot." Becca said.

"I'm not." Clementine said.

"If you cut yourself, you're an idiot." Becca said.

"I am not!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Becca, stop it." Sarah said.

"Stop what?" Becca said. "Only an idiot would cut themselves."

"I'm not an idiot! You are!" Clementine snapped.

"I'm not the one cutting myself." Becca scoffed.

Clementine just whimpered a bit. "You don't get it…"

"Oh, come on. Don't start crying." Becca said.

"Leave me alone." The twelve-year-old sniffled.

"Becca, you're being a bully. Stop it." Sarah said.

"And she's being a crybaby. She shouldn't be cutting herself." Becca said.

"Clem, it's okay… She doesn't mean it." Sarah said.

"So you think it's okay for her to cut herself?" Becca asked.

"No, I don't. But you don't have to call her mean names." Sarah said.

"Whatever…" Becca huffed.

"Clementine, are you okay?" Sarah asked her younger friend.

Clementine just turned away. "I'm going to see my girls… I miss them."

Without another word, Clementine wheeled her way to her bedroom.

The child sat in silence, staring out the window with a frown. No one understood why she needed to cut. They didn't get how it momentarily distracted her from whatever inner pain she was feeling.

The girl knew that there was no way she wouldn't be getting her hands on a knife anytime soon. She tried to think of anything else she could use.

 _Versatility is not overrated._

As she recalled Jane's words, she remembered the nail file, hidden away in the pocket of her coat. She had to get it without anyone noticing.

* * *

Throughout the next morning, Clementine kept to herself. It wasn't until Bonnie approached her that the girl finally spoke.

"Hey, Clem. You been quiet all day... Everything okay?" Bonnie asked.

"...I'm cold..." The child uttered gently.

"Cold? You need a blanket?" Bonnie asked the girl.

Clementine shook her head. "My coat..."

"You want your coat?"

Clementine nodded.

"Sure, I'll grab it for you." Bonnie offered.

"Thank you..." Clementine said.

Once Bonnie brought the girl her jacket, Clementine quickly checked the pockets. A small smile crossed her lips as she felt the cold metal of the nail file.

She started with small pricks and jabs. But as the arguing continued so did her self harm. She felt it was her only escape.

Her stress reached a maximum one night as she sat in her room. The twins were wailing. The adults were arguing. Clementine hated it, she wanted all the noise to stop.

She grabbed the metal nail file from her pocket. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

She tried to block out the noise around her, but was unable to. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she clutch the nail file tighter.

" _Do it, honey. Go on."_

Clementine flinched at the voice.

" _Do it…"_

Her hand came down hard before she could stop herself. She yelped in pain as blood welled from a puncture wound in her arm. Red droplets purged to the surface of her skin. It hurt, a lot, Clementine couldn't help but whimper.

She took some shaky breaths, squeezing her eyes shut she tried to yank the nail file free.

Her head spun as she finally pulled the nail file free. She collapsed on the bed, the nail file fell from her hand.

Dizziness washed over her as her arm throbbed in pain. Blood continued to drip and before long, the girl fainted.

* * *

When Christa entered the room, and noticed Clementine laying on the bed she assumed the child was sleeping. She wondered how the young girl was sleeping through all the noise.

Christa walked around to check on the twins, but stopped as she noticed the blood drops on the bed.

Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly rushed to Clementine's side. She quick looked to the girl's arm and swore, "Fuck!"

"Christa?" Luke came to the door, having heard the twins unstopping cries. "Need some help?"

"Get Carlos!" Christa tried to stop the bleeding, knowing the young girl would need stitches.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Now!" Christa said.

Luke's eyes were wide with confusion and concern. He quickly went to do as she told.

* * *

When Clementine awoke her arm was bandaged.

Christa was sitting beside her with a glum expression.

"Why did you do it?" Christa asked her.

Clementine didn't even look to the woman or offering a response.

"You're breaking my heart, Clem." Christa told her.

Still the girl said nothing.

"I wish you would just stop…" Christa rubbed a hand over the child's hair and Clementine gave a slight flinch. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself."

The child never spoke back.

* * *

Later that day Carlos applied a fresh bandage to her arm.

"You're lucky." Carlos said. "You nearly hit a vein. You could've died last night."

Clementine said nothing, she simply stared ahead of herself with a blank expression.

"Can you ever stay out of trouble, child?" Carlos grumbled.

"Carlos, stop." Christa said. "She doesn't need this right now."

"No... What she needs is to be locked in a secluded room where she can't hurt herself." Carlos said. "This is a maladaptive coping mechanism. She's extremely disturbed."

"We know that. She doesn't need to be locked away like some animal. She needs help." Kenny said.

"If she continues cutting she's going to end up killing herself. The smart thing to do is place her in an area where she cannot hurt herself." Carlos said. "If the world was normal this child would be institutionalized."

"Can you guys stop talking about her like she's not here." Becca gritted out.

"She's not here. Clearly, she's in some state of shock. She hasn't responded to anything since she woke up." Carlos replied.

"What did she use this time?" Bonnie asked.

"A nail file…" Christa said. "I don't know what to do."

"I've already told you." Carlos muttered.

"Screw your idea. I'm not locking her up. She needs help, not to be isolated." Christa said.

"She's a danger to herself, and she could be a danger to anyone around her." Carlos said.

"She's not a danger! And she… She ain't some animal." Kenny said.

"Kenny's right. She hasn't hurt anyone before. And she's not going to." Christa said. "Just give her a break."

"Carlos has a point… Maybe we should move her somewhere that she won't be able to hurt herself. We can't keep an eye on her twenty-four hours a day…" Bonnie said.

"I'm looking after her. And the last thing I'm going to do is lock her away. Just keep your opinions to yourselves because I don't want to hear them." Christa said.

No one gave a response.

* * *

For two days Clementine remained completely withdrawn. The child was like an empty shell. No one was home.

When she finally started to react again, the girl didn't say a word.

Nobody understood why she had just stopped talking. Refusing to communicate beyond a few physical actions, Clementine remained in her own little world.

She would resort to signaling when she wanted something, or not reacting at all. She tried to make herself invisible, hiding her feelings, not wanting to be noticed. She wanted nothing more than to disappear.

She had nothing to say to anyone. All she wanted to do was hold her twins and tend to them, and she panicked whenever they were taken from her.

Luke lamented on the situation, wondering how things had got to this point. He was starting to think leaving might not be such a bad idea.

"Jane… I've been thinking about what you said…" Luke told Jane.

"And?"

"Maybe leaving… isn't a bad idea…" Luke said. He wanted to help Clementine, get her out of this chaos.

"I've been telling you that the whole time." Jane said.

"But what about the others?" Luke asked.

"We take Clem and the twins. That's all, the others aren't going to want to leave." Jane said.

"Christa talked about leaving a while back. Maybe she can come with us." Luke suggested.

Jane shook her head. "For all we know she changed her mind. She'd probably try to stop us."

"But…"

"We don't need anybody else. Just us, Clem and the twins." Jane said. "A new start… We'll be like a family."

Luke thought it over for a moment before sighing. "Okay…"

"Good. We leave tonight." Jane said.

"How do we get the kids without anyone noticing?" Luke asked.

"Leave that to me." Jane said.

Luke raised a brow, unsure of what she planned to do.

* * *

For the rest of the day the two kept a low profile. While the group members were distracted Jane proceeded to go through the medical closet. She managed to find a sleeping aid and decided to put it to use. Jane crushed the sleeping aid up with a knife and put it in a zip lock bag.

The woman offered to make dinner that night. And purposely added a dose of the sleeping aid to the food. She sat aside two bowls adding an extra dose to one. She them offered both to Christa.

The group ate without complaints. After the meal Christa helped Clementine tend to the twins. Both of them were tired and as soon as the twins had fallen asleep they followed suit.

Luke and Jane waited until the group members had all retreated to their rooms to sleep before discussing a plan. The plan was simple, get Clementine and the twins out of the room and outside into a car. They began to pack up whatever supplies they thought they needed, gathering food, water, baby clothes, diapers, and Clementine's medication. They stocked everything in a car parked in the driveway outside of the house.

In the middle of the night when Christa left her bedroom to use the restroom, Jane was surprised that Christa was awake. Then realization dawned on her that Clementine must've eaten the food with the extra dose. Jane wasn't going to let this ruin the plan she decided to use the opportunity to sneak into the room, it was now or never. She motioned for Luke to follow her and the two headed into the bedroom.

Clementine was fast asleep, holding onto Promise. The twins were sleeping as well.

Jane easily picked up the twins while Luke hesitantly picked up Clementine, making sure to grab her teddy bear as well.

"We don't have much time. Let's hurry." Jane said.

"What about her wheelchair?" Luke asked.

"Forget it, we'll find her another." Jane said. "Let's move."

Luke reluctantly complied.

They made their way outside and towards the truck. Luke placed the still sleeping child in the backseat of the truck before opening the door for Jane. Jane climbed into the passenger's seat, still holding the twins.

Luke got into the driver's seat. "Are you sure…?"

"Let's go. No looking back." Jane said.

Luke took a deep breath and started the car.

* * *

After Christa had finished using the bathroom she headed back to her room. Immediately she realized something wasn't right and when she noticed the empty bed. The child's teddy bear was gone but her wheelchair was still in place.

Christa felt her breath catch in her throat. She quickly checked the twins' cradle and found it was empty. Christa's eyes widened. She quickly backed out of the room.

Her first thought was Clementine had left to get the twins a bottle. Yet Christa knew the child could barely walk and Clementine had been completely out of it. The child hadn't even stirred since she fell asleep that night. There was no way she got up and walked out on her own.

Christa panicked and began checking room after room. She couldn't find the children. The shock of it all sent a chill through her. Where could they be?

Christa took some quick breaths as she methodically checked the doors and windows. They were all shut.

Christa was in a full-blown panic. She quickly went to wake the others.

Once everyone had gathered into the living room, confused and tired Vince asked, "What's the matter? It's the middle of the night…"

"Clementine and the twins are missing!" Christa exclaimed in a panic tone.

Everyone looked shocked.

"W-What?" Sarita gasped.

"They're gone!" Christa said.

"What do you mean gone?!" Kenny inquired.

"I mean they're literally gone! I can't find them!" Christa said.

"Fuck! What do we do?!" Wyatt asked.

"We look for them, what else?" Kenny hissed

"Hold on… Where are Luke and Jane?" Bonnie asked.

Everyone exchanged looks.

"Oh fuck…" Vince muttered.

* * *

"So where do we go now?" Luke asked.

"I was thinking back to Howe's." Jane said.

Luke's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. No way in hell would he go back to that hellhole. "Hell no! Jane, we can't go back there!"

"Why not?" Jane asked.

"We… We're supposed to be doing what's best for Clem. We can't take her back to the place where she was tortured." Luke said.

"Then what do you suggest?" Jane asked.

"Maybe we can find someplace else… If just for the night." Luke said.

"We can't stay too close to town. It's too risky." Jane said.

"So what? We just keep driving?" Luke asked.

"We're going to have to." Jane said.

Luke frowned. "Maybe we should turn back. This probably wasn't a good idea."

"Luke, it's our best idea. We'll be fine. We just got to keep moving." Jane said.

Luke glanced to her. "Are you sure?"

"Just trust me." Jane said.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

Despite feeling exhausted, the adults searched continuously for the missing child and infants. They found not a trace of Clementine or the twins. They didn't see any sign of Luke and Jane either.

It quickly became obviously that the two had ditched town.

Kenny and Christa wasted no time hoping in a truck and trying to trail after them, while the others continued their search around town just in case they showed up.

The search was coming up empty. After hours of riding around, Kenny and Christa hadn't found them.

"Damn it, you think they stopped somewhere?" Christa asked.

"If they're smart they'll keep driving, because once I catch them I'm gonna make them regret taking those kids." Kenny said.

"This is my fault…" Christa sighed. "I should've paid more attention… I can't believe this…"

"I'd expect Jane to pull some bullshit, but not Luke…" Kenny huffed.

"I guess you never know who will stab you in the back." Christa said.

"We should've kept them both away from the kids." Kenny said.

"There's a possibility that Luke could be the father, I didn't want to keep him away from his own kids if that was the case." Christa replied.

"Well that shithead, ain't ready for no kid. He's ain't mature enough to be a father." Kenny said.

"You're probably right about that… But I wouldn't have felt right if I didn't give him a chance." Christa said.

"He blew that chance. Damn asshole can't even make smart choices for his own kids. He knows they need a doctor." Kenny scoffed.

"He let Jane get into his head." Christa said.

"Well he should grow the hell up. And I can't wait to knock some sense into him." Kenny said.

"Once we find them. Be my guest." Christa said.

"Believe me, I won't hesitate." Kenny said.

* * *

After about two hours of driving, Luke was starting to feel a bit tired. He continued driving in silence until Jane finally spoke up.

"You think Goldilocks here is yours?"

The question shocked him. Luke furrowed his brows, "Goldilocks? ...You mean Aleena?"

"Yeah." Jane said.

"Why are you calling her that?" Luke asked.

Jane cocked a brow as if he had just asked a dumb question. "You've seen her hair, haven't you?"

"Of course. I only see them everyday." Luke said.

"Well, that's why." Jane said before asking again, "So, do you think she's yours?"

"Why do you ask?" Luke questioned back.

"Well… I could imagine you making a little blonde kid." Jane shrugged.

"I think they're both mine." Luke said.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Luke said. "You don't think Crystal's mine?"

"She could be... or not." Jane said. "Same with Aleena though. I just could see you having a kid with blondish hair."

Luke furrowed his brows. "Can twins even have two different fathers?"

"Believe it or not, they can actually." Jane said.

"Seriously? I never knew…" Luke said. "But regardless, they're mine. Like I said before I'm their father, even if they're not mine by blood."

"If you say so…" Jane said. "I… I wonder what ours would've looked like…"

"I'm sure our kid would've been beautiful…" Luke said.

"You think it would've been a girl?" Jane asked.

Luke shrugged, he didn't want to think about the child they had lost. "Maybe…"

"Jamie Nicole…" Jane sighed, glancing to the twins. "I bet she would've been beautiful… Whenever I look at little Goldilocks here, I imagine she would've looked something like her…"

"Can you stop calling her goldilocks? Her name's Aleena." Luke said.

"I never knew you were so picky when it came to names." Jane responded.

Luke just kept quiet.

"What's bothering you?" Jane asked after a few moments.

"Just... wondering if we're making the right choice." Luke admitted.

"Of course we are. You wanted to get the kids out of that negative environment, didn't you?" Jane said.

"But… they were safe there, Jane. Now we're on the road with no idea where to go." Luke pointed out.

"We'll figure it out, Luke. That town isn't the only safe place in the world. Hell, I wouldn't even call it safe. That town's a sitting target." Jane said.

"You can be a target anywhere you go." Luke replied. "That's just how the world is. There's a lot of fucked up people out there."

"So what, you want to turn around and go back?" Jane asked. "How do you think they're gonna react when they realize we took the kids. They'll freak out."

"I don't care if they're pissed or not. I just don't want to make a mistake that'll jeopardize the kids' safety." Luke said.

"We can keep them safe, Luke. We'll do a better job than anyone else can do." Jane stated.

"What makes you think that?" Luke asked.

"That group was dysfunctional, we're not." Jane said.

Luke sighed at that, "So where do you suppose we go?"

"I don't know since you're opposed to going back to Howe's…"

"You know why. Clem was tortured there! Not only that, but Carver made me sleep with her!" Luke said.

"Look, I get it. The place is full of bad memories." Jane said.

"Horrible memories." Luke muttered.

"For now, I guess we should just keep on the road." Jane replied.

"For how long? Until we run out of gas? We can't keep on the road forever."

"Would you stop worrying so much?" Jane sighed. "Look, I'm sure we're both tired. We'll stop the second we fine some shelter."

"Alright then…" Luke responded.

Silence fell over them briefly. Luke glanced through the rearview mirror at Clementine. The child hadn't so much as stirred.

"She's out like a light…" Luke muttered.

"Well, she's got that medicine in her system. She'll be out for a while." Jane said.

"Just how much medicine did you give her?" Luke asked.

"Enough to keep her out all night." Jane said. "She's had a double dose."

Luke furrowed his brows at that. "Did you really have to drug her?"

"Things wouldn't have been so easy if I didn't." Jane said.

"But a double dose? Do you really think a child needed that much medication?" Luke inquired.

"That was an accident. It wasn't meant for her, but… I'm sure she'll be fine." Jane said.

"You gave her a double dose of a sedative. And she hasn't been responding much." Luke said. "That's concerning."

"She'll be okay. We just gotta keep an eye on her." Jane said.

"Alright…" Luke said.

"Luke… I know things are tough now, but no matter what happens we sink or swim together." Jane said.

Luke nodded in agreement. "Let's try our best not to sink."

* * *

"They must have gotten further than we thought…" Christa sighed. "I would've expected to catch up with them by now."

"We're gonna catch up to them." Kenny said.

"They might have drove in the other direction. It's too dark to do anything now, we should head back to town and continue searching in the morning…" Christa said.

"I don't want to wait to morning! We need to find them now!" Kenny exclaimed stubbornly.

"We're not going to find them right now. All we're doing is wasting gas. If we wait until morning we can cover more ground. We'll have more time to search." Christa said.

"You got separated from Clem before. How long did you actually search for her before you gave up?" Kenny demanded.

Christa shot him a glare. "What the hell are you talking about? I never stopped looking for her!"

"Then how the hell did she end up in that shitbird's group in the first place?" Kenny asked.

"We were separated, we got attacked by bandits and Luke's group found her. If you saw a little kid wandering around by themselves, wouldn't you take them in?"

"Of course I would." Kenny said. "But if you were looking for her, how come it took you so damn long to find her?"

"It wasn't like she was in one place. She was constantly moving. I searched the area, she wasn't there. So I search other areas. I never stopped looking for her." Christa said.

"I find that hard to believe." Kenny said.

"Oh, really?" Christa asked. "How about we look at you. You were at that hardware store when Clementine was being abused, why didn't you help her?"

"I… I didn't know…. I tried helping." Kenny said.

"How long did it happen? How many times before you "tried" helping.?" Christa asked.

Kenny found himself at lost for words. "I…"

"How many times do you think she was tortured in that place?" Christa kept going.

"Too many… It doesn't matter if it only happened once, it never should've happened in the first place." Kenny said. "If I could go back and change it all I would, but I can't do that. All I can do is be there for her and those twins now."

"Well… We won't be much help if we run out of gas tonight." Christa said. "Let's go back to town. We'll search again at first light."

Kenny let out a heavy sigh at that. "Okay…"

"Good…"

* * *

Luke drove about thirty more minutes before the twins started whimpering. When Jane's attempts to calm them proved to be futile, Luke decided to pull over.

Luke turned the dome light on and began searching through the supplies for the twins' bottles. He quickly found them, but groaned as he realized something. "Fuck…"

"What?"

"We… We don't have the… pump thing…" Luke said a bit awkwardly.

"The breast pump?" Jane asked.

"Yeah…. That…" Luke said.

"Do we need it? Their bottles look pretty full to me." Jane noted.

"They're not gonna stay full forever though." Luke replied.

"Well that's what the formula is for."

Luke sighed and nodded. He just hoped they would drink the formula. "Here, I can take one of them."

"Alright… I'll give you, Crystal…" Jane handed the baby over. "That's Crystal, right."

"Yeah. This is Crystal." Luke took the wailing infant into his arms, shushing her. He took the cap off her bottle and popped the bottle's nipple into the infant's mouth.

"I guess I'm supposed to feed goldilocks, I mean Aleena." Jane said.

"Yeah… That'd be helpful." Luke said.

Jane nodded. "I just hope she doesn't spit up on me…"

"…She might." Luke said.

"That definitely makes me want to feed her." Jane rolled her eyes. Still, she took the other bottle and began feeding Aleena.

"Clem's really out of it. She didn't even react to them crying…" Luke sighed, noticing the child still hadn't moved an inch.

"She was out of it to begin with. She was barely responding to anyone." Jane said.

"Well, she's been through so much. Can you really blame her?" Luke replied.

"No…" Jane sighed. "I just…"

"Just what?" Luke urged her to continue.

"I wonder how much longer she's gonna keep going…" Jane said.

"What do you mean…?" Luke asked.

Jane hesitated before speaking again, "Do you really think she wants to… be here?"

"With us? I thought you said she'd be safest with us. Why wouldn't she?" Luke asked.

"I don't mean with us… I mean, in this world. Alive..." Jane clarified.

Luke sent her a look of disbelief. "Jane…"

"Just think about all she's been through. And every time she gets close to… ending it, someone or something stops her." Jane said.

"Of course we stop her! We're not gonna let the kid kill herself!" Luke exclaimed.

"What's the point of saving someone's life when they don't want to be alive? Do you really think that stopping her from killing herself is going to make them want to live?" Jane asked.

"She's twelve, and she's traumatized and confused. She barely knows what she wants right now…" Luke said.

"One horrific experience is enough to traumatize a person for life. Clem's been through multiple traumas. How do you think that will affect her in the future? Look at what it's doing to her now. Is it really fair to make her suffer anymore?" Was Jane's response.

"We're not making her suffer. We're keeping her safe." Luke retorted. "If you just think she should die, why the hell did you want to take them away?"

"I don't think she should die… I just don't think we should force her to live… I tried it with Jamie…But when a person reaches their breaking point, you just can't save them…" Jane said with a frown.

"I think you're being ridiculous..." Luke said. "I'm gonna keep Clem and the twins safe until it kills me. For anything and anyone…"

Jane was taken aback by his harsh tone. "That almost sounded like a threat."

"It's not a threat. It's a promise, but you shouldn't be worried. Unless of course, you planned on doing something to harm them." Luke said.

"I… don't. I just was stating my opinion, no need to get all worked up about it." Jane said.

"Some opinions should be kept to yourself." Luke said.

Jane didn't respond.

They fed the twins in silence before burping them. After finally getting the twins to sleep Luke finally broke the silence. "I'll look after the twins while you get some rest..."

"You're the one who was driving, you should rest." Jane said.

"I will. In the morning." Luke said. He didn't feel comfortable falling asleep after what Jane had been saying. He would have to keep an eye on her around Clementine and the twins.

"Suit yourself." Jane said. "Here's Goldilocks back."

Luke took the baby from her arms. "Crystal and Aleena. They have names, why don't you use them?"

"What's wrong with giving them nicknames?" Jane asked.

"What's wrong with calling them by their actual names?" Luke shot back.

"Loosen up, will you. Stop acting like such a stuffed shirt." Jane groaned.

Luke didn't say a word.

"Anyway, I'm gonna get some rest. Night, Luke." Jane said.

"Goodnight." Luke replied.

* * *

The ride back to town was a quiet one.

When Christa and Kenny finally arrived back the group could tell from their glum expressions that things didn't go well.

"No luck?" Bonnie asked.

"No... We're gonna look again tomorrow." Christa announced.

"They could be long gone by then. "Carlos pointed out.

"I don't give a fuck how far they go. I'll follow them to the edge of the world if I have to. They're not taking those kids." Kenny said.

"They already have." Carlos spoke. "Frankly, I'm starting to wonder if we should search for them."

"What do you mean if? Of course we should!" Kenny said.

"It could put us at risk. It might not be the best idea." Carlos said.

"Carlos, you know those kids need a doctor." Christa said. "We got to find them. They need us."

"They do need a doctor, just in case things go wrong, but how are we going to find them?" Carlos said.

"We just got to keep looking until we do." Christa said.

"Christa's right. If we don't even look those kids are as good as dead." Vince said.

"Don't say that…" Sarita frowned.

"It's true." Vince replied. "They're not in the best condition."

"Look on the bright side… They're in safe hands." Bonnie said.

Russell raised a brow. "Safe out there? Verses here, where they had food and shelter?"

"I wouldn't say they're safe. I'm pretty sure Luke and Jane have no clue what they're doing." Wyatt said.

"I mean, at least we know they won't hurt the kids… We still gotta find them, but we won't have to worry about them getting hurt." Bonnie explained.

"Luke won't hurt them, but I wouldn't put it pass Jane to harm one of those kids." Christa said. "I don't trust her."

"Me either. That girl is nothing but trouble." Kenny said.

"You don't really think she would harm a child, do you?" Sarita asked, looking concerned.

"I definitely think she would. She constantly calls them burdens and liabilities." Christa said. "They're children, two of them are infants. Children are not liabilities."

"She won't get the chance to hurt them. We'll find them and bring them back here." Vince said.

"And when we find them… What do we do about Luke and Jane?" Russell asked.

"We'll figure that out when we find them. Luke's being strung along by Jane." Christa said.

"He should grow the hell up. He's not in high school. We're in the middle of the apocalypse and he's putting three little children at risk to please some woman." Kenny said.

"Look… why don't we try to rest. We can head out first thing in the morning." Christa said.

The group members reluctantly agreed, retreating back to their rooms.

Christa took a seat on the bed with a sigh, burying her head into her hands. There was no way she was sleeping tonight.

* * *

Luke sat in silence, holding the sleeping twins in his arms. Jane had drifted off a while ago, leaving him being the only one awake. He kept the dome light since it was so dark outside.

Glancing to the rearview mirror he looked to Clementine. The girl was still sound asleep. Luke couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for residue of the sleeping aid to wear off in the small girl's system.

The dose of sleeping aid Jane had given the group was enough to make the adults tired, he couldn't imagine the effect it was having on a little twelve-year-old kid. He was almost urged to try to wake the girl, though he was sure it wouldn't be easy, seeing how the child hadn't even stirred since they left town.

Luke sighed, thoughts spun through his head. Even though he had thought about leaving town before, he didn't know if it had been the right choice or even a smart choice.

They had basic food and supplies for themselves and the twins, but Luke knew that wasn't enough. They were now tasked with taken care of two premature infants and a little girl who was emotionally disturbed and in bad shape. Luke hadn't a clue how they were going to provide for those kids, especially when they were by no means in a stable environment

They couldn't live in a vehicle forever. They needed to find some shelter. He knew Jane wanted to go back to Howe's but he wouldn't go back to that place if his life depended on it. And there was no way in hell he would bring Clementine back to that torture house.

They didn't have a cradle, or even car seats for the twins. Clementine's wheelchair had been left behind. They were definitely not prepared. If they were going to make things work they needed to find a safe place soon.

* * *

He was full of devouring anxiety. He couldn't sleep.

He had been pacing for over twenty minutes when Sarita finally sighed. "Kenny, come to bed... It's late. We should try to rest..."

"I can't sleep like this," He argued his ridiculous solution. "Those kid are out there with two assholes who barely know how to take care of themselves."

"Luke won't let anything bad happen to them." Sarita said. "He loves them more than anything."

"If he loved them, why would he take them away from safety?" Kenny asked.

"He thinks he can protect them. And I'm sure he'd risk his life for Clementine and those twins. But I don't think they thought things through before they took those kids." Sarita said.

"Of course they didn't. If they had used an ounce of common sense, they wouldn't have taken them. Because they would've realized that Clem and the twins need a doctor around. And they wouldn't have took them from the one spot where they had guaranteed medical attention and a place to rest their heads." Kenny huffed. "We should've been looking after her."

"Everyone was asleep. Christa was with her and we had AJ to-"

"We still should've looked after her!" Kenny cut her off.

AJ whimpered slightly from the crib he was resting in and they lowered their voices so they wouldn't wake him.

"We couldn't have known this would happen. It's no one's fault." Sarita said.

Kenny bit the inside of his cheek, turning away. "I promised Lee I would look after Clem… But all I've done is fail. Now her and the twins are missing and… and if anything happens to them I'll…" He trailed off.

"Nothing's gonna happen to them, Kenny. They'll be fine." Sarita said.

"We don't know that." Kenny said. "I don't trust Jane with them. She's fucking crazy, and if Luke is gonna follow her around like a pathetic little puppy he ain't no better."

"I think Luke's just confused and Jane's going through a lot. They lost a baby recently, Kenny." Sarita reminded. "That's a traumatic thing."

"We've all lost people. I lost my wife, my son…" Kenny paused. "That doesn't mean they should take little kids out of town and put their lives in danger."

"I'm sure that's not their intention." Sarita said.

"Regardless of their intentions, they made a big mistake. I was supposed to look out for them to keep them safe. Not only did I fail Lee, I failed Clem, and I failed myself." Kenny said.

"Kenny, you took a beating for her. You lost your eye to protect her." Sarita replied.

"Protect her from the consequences of a plan we told her to do." Kenny pointed out. "I'm supposed to protect her all the time. To keep her safe from everything."

"And once we get her back we'll take every precaution to make sure those kids stay safe." Sarita took hold of his hand and they met eyes. Her soft gaze gives him a little hope. "We'll find her. I promise."

Kenny's voice wavers as he says, "I'm an idiot. I should've known they were up to something..."

"No one knew. You're not an idiot, Kenny. First thing tomorrow, we'll look for them. They're going to be okay." Sarita said.

"I hope so. I can't lose another kid, Sarita." Kenny said.

"You won't. Those kids are fine. Believe me." Sarita reassured him.

"I do…" Kenny said.

"Good…" She released his hand. "Now… Let's try to get some rest…"

"Alright, hon… Alright." Kenny said with a sigh.

The two laid down and tried to sleep.

* * *

When the sun had come up exhaustion kicked in for Luke. After tending to the twins, Luke and Jane traded spots and Jane began driving.

Noticing how tired Luke looked, Jane made a suggestion, "We can pull over if you want. I can look after the kids while you rest."

"Nah. I'm alright. Let's keep moving." Luke said.

"You sure?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. I got too much on my mind to rest." Luke replied.

"If you say so." Jane said.

As they continued driving Luke glanced to Clementine. "She's been out for far too long. When do you think she's gonna wake up?"

"Probably in a few hours. She only had a sleeping pill, Luke. I didn't give her anything that would kill her." Jane said.

"I would sure as hell hope not." Luke said.

"Quit being so paranoid. She's fine." Jane replied.

"I… I don't think we should've left." Luke said to her.

"What do you mean? Of course we should have." Jane said.

"Jane, look at where we are. We've been driving for hours with an unconscious kid and two premature babies. We can't keep this up forever." Luke said.

"We won't be out here forever. You're overreacting." Jane replied.

Luke shook his head in disagreement. "I'm not overreacting. We didn't think this through before we left. We should go back."

"Luke, no." Jane said. "We can't just go back now. We've come this far. We'll be fine."

"Things don't seem fine right now. We'll be on the road for who knows how long. Before we find a safe place." Luke muttered. "If we find a safe place…"

"There's no "if". We'll find a place soon." Jane claimed.

"And if we don't?" Luke asked.

"We will." Jane simply replied.

"Okay, even if we do… What happens when we run low on supplies. We can't just leave and go on a supply hunt when we have the kids with us. One of us has to be around to look after them." Luke said.

"That's not a big deal. We can easily take a supply run on our own. Hell, sometimes being alone is better." Jane said.

Luke disagreed. "Things aren't that simple, Jane. You know that."

"Luke, you're so worried about supplies, but you don't want to go to the one place that has them. We could head to Howe's and make due for months." Jane said.

"The supplies at Howe's could be as good as gone by now. Tavia and her people got wiped out months ago. That place is either abandoned or there's a group that stumbled upon it already. We can't take that risk." Luke said.

"It's worth the risk to find out. Especially if there could be supplies." Jane argued.

"It's not worth the risk at all. Clementine went through hell at that place, Jane. We can't take her back to a place where she has to remember how she was raped everyday." Luke said.

"There's no place she can go where she won't think about it." Jane said. "It happened months ago, she should just stop focusing on it. Carver's dead, and so is Troy. It's not like they can hurt her anymore."

"She's traumatized, Jane. She can't just stop focusing on it. We took them from the town because we wanted to help them. Taking her back to Howe's won't help." Luke told her.

"So where do you suggest we go, genius?" Jane asked.

"I don't know. It was your big idea to leave." Luke replied.

"You went along with it, didn't you?" Jane huffed.

"And I think we should turn back around." Luke said.

"Why do you want to go back to that place of dysfunction?" Jane inquired.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. It's getting cold. We need a safe place to go. Somewhere where the twins and Clementine aren't going to freeze to death." Luke said.

"We just gotta keep moving. We'll find-"

"Jane stop," Luke cut her off, noticing some kind of building from beyond the trees.

Jane slowed the vehicle and smirked as she spotted the building as well. "Looks like we found a spot. Told you we just had to keep looking."

* * *

With most of the group members out and about Sarah and Becca who had been fast asleep during the night prior's incident were both shocked to see their friend was missing.

"What do you mean she's gone? Where is she?" Becca inquired to Bonnie. The woman had just explained the situation to them.

"Luke and Jane took off with her and the twins." Bonnie told them.

"What for?" Becca asked.

Bonnie just shook her head, not knowing how to answer that.

Becca's eyes grew wide. "Holy shit… Where the hell did they go?"

"We have no idea yet." Bonnie answered.

"How do you not have an idea?" Becca questioned furrowing her brows.

"They took off last night without a word. We've been searching around but we haven't found them yet." Bonnie said.

"Do you think they're okay...?" Sarah asked nervously.

"I'm sure they're fine, Sarah. Luke won't let them get hurt." Bonnie replied.

"Why'd they even take them in the first place. They're idiots." Becca scoffed.

"That's what we're wondering…" Bonnie sighed.

"But it's not safe out there. Clementine and the babies should be here, in town." Sarah said. She was worried about them.

"I know, Sarah…" Bonnie said.

"But do they?" Becca asked.

"Obviously not…." Bonnie muttered.

"The weather's getting cold. Little kids shouldn't be out there." Sarah said. "What if they get sick?"

"We'll… We'll find them before that can happen. They'll be fine." Bonnie said.

"Are you sure?" Becca asked.

"Yeah. Kenny and Christa are drive around, looking for them. We'll find them really soon." Bonnie said.

"Hopefully, you're right…" Becca muttered.

* * *

Jane droved closer to the house and pulled into the driveway.

"It doesn't look half-bad, but we should check it out to be sure." Luke said.

"I got it." Jane said. "I'll go make sure we're not trapping ourselves with a bunch of walkers."

"Lurkers we can handle. I'm more worried about people." Luke replied.

"Well, I'll check for people and "lurkers"." Jane said.

Luke gave a nod, ignoring her mocking tone. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, I've only done this like a hundred times before." Jane scoffed.

"I'm serious, Jane."

"I'll be fine." Jane assured. "I'll shout if I need anything."

Luke sighed, but didn't protest as Jane got out the car and shut the door.

Jane headed into the house, holding her gun close as she slowly opened the door. If anyone was inside, she wanted to be ready for them.

She entered the house with caution and looked around. Many of the windows were boarded up, some even broken. But besides the broken and dust cover furniture and clear blood splatters on the floor, the place wasn't in bad condition.

Jane wondered when the last time someone had stumbled upon this place was. The house was completely abandoned.

Jane began making her way from room to room, making sure there was no unexpected surprises in the house.

In one room, Jane found some children's toys. She sighed, it always sucked that kids had to deal with a world like this.

When everything looked safe she checked for supplies.

The kitchen table was scattered with old empty cans. Despite the house seeming to have been forgotten for months, Jane managed to gather two overlooked cans of beans. It wasn't nearly enough to keep them feed for more than a few days, depending on how they rationed.

Jane sighed. Maybe Luke was making a good point about going back.

She took a seat at the kitchen table, running a hand through her hair. After sitting in silence for a few moments she glanced up, and something caught her eye. There was a door, which she hadn't noticed before. The door was practically hidden behind an empty wood shelf, if Jane hadn't been so perceptive, she probably would've completely missed it.

The woman pushed herself to her feet and went over to the door. She moved the empty shelf out of her way. She then pulled the door open and was greeted by a set of stairs. A basement.

Part of her was hesitant to go down the stairs, someone could be down there. Though, part of her thought it would be good to search down there for supplies. Besides if they were going to stay there they needed to know the place was safe. They couldn't risk someone sneak attacking them. And she needed to make sure there weren't any walkers hobbling around.

Jane headed into the basement. It was dark. Jane wasn't able to see much of anything until she turned on a spare flashlight she had. Upon looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until she spotted a second door. This door was secured with a pad lock. Jane edged towards it and checked out the lock. She took it into her grasp and gave a tug. The lock held firm.

She was sure she could pick the lock, but it would take time. There was obviously something important behind the door and she was going to find out what. She just needed something to break the padlock with.

She searched for something to break the padlock. Eventually finding a hammer. She struck the lock over and over, but it didn't break. It took several heavy blows before the old lock finally gave away and tumbled to the ground.

Jane took a moment to catch her breath before opening the door.

The room wasn't large, but Jane was shocked to see boxes of canned fruits, vegetables, beans, tuna, and salon. Bags of sugar, rice, and flour. Whoever had been here before definitely stocked up.

"Wow..." Jane muttered. Luke had to see this.

* * *

Luke sat in silence, waiting for Jane to return from the house. He didn't like that she went to check it out alone, but the kids.

He sighed, looking to the twins who were sleep in his arms.

"I'm sure you two miss your crib. Sorry we couldn't bring it…" He felt a bit silly talking to the babies like they understood him, but he continued. "I hope this place is safe. I really do. Otherwise we're fucked..."

Luke hear a little groan from the back seat. He glanced through the mirror to the stirring child. Before long the girl's eyes fluttered open. "Hey, kiddo. How are you?"

Clementine slowly sat up and looked around, furrowing her brows as she noticed they were in an unfamiliar spot.

"You were out for a while. Glad you're awake." Luke said.

Clementine didn't respond, not that he expected her to.

The child seemed out of it. Luke couldn't blame her. The medicine probably wasn't completely out of her system. Speaking of medication, he had to make sure Clementine took her daily dose of her anxiety medication.

"You're probably wondering where we are... I just wanna let you know that no matter what happens I'll keep you safe." Luke said.

The young girl kept a blank expression as she still said nothing.

"Luke! You gotta see this!" Jane rushed outside.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked quickly. "Did you find something."

"Come with me." Jane simply said.

Luke looked to the kids.

Jane pulled his door open and he got out the car with the twins. "We can bring them inside now. It's fine."

She opened the door and picked Clementine up. The girl flinched slightly from the touch.

They went into the house and Luke looked around. It wasn't the cleanest place, he was sure all the dust wouldn't be good for the twins to inhale. They'd have to give this place a good cleaning.

Jane sat Clementine on the couch. "Come on."

"What did you want to show me?" Luke asked.

"The basement." Jane said.

"What's in the basement?"

"Just come see." Jane said.

Luke looked to Clementine and handed her the twins. "Sit tight, kiddo."

Luke followed Jane into the basement. When Jane led him to the storage room he was shocked to see all the food.

"Holy shit! It's like food heaven." Luke said.

"Yeah. Someone was definitely stocking up." Jane said.

"But where are they now?" Luke asked.

"No idea. But who cares. This stuff will keep us going for months." Jane smirked. "We're gonna be just fine."

* * *

Once again, the search had come up empty. The group was concerned about the Clementine and the twins. It seemed Luke and Jane were nowhere near the area anymore.

"This is bullshit. How the fuck are we gonna find them?" Kenny grumbled.

"They can't be too far." Bonnie said.

"If they weren't too far, don't you think we would've found them by now?" Kenny said.

"I'm not going to stop looking until I find them." Christa said.

"We need to think of where they would go." Vince said.

"What about Parker's run or Howe's?" Wyatt asked. "Jane went back there before."

"I doubt Luke would ever go back to Howe's." Carlos said.

"Unless Jane somehow managed to convince him." Wyatt replied.

"No… He's crazy, but he ain't that crazy. What happened at Howe's was bad for everyone, especially him and Clem." Kenny replied.

"Maybe it's worth checking out. We should know for sure." Russell said.

"Yeah… That might be smart." Wyatt said.

"And if they're not there, where else do you think they'd go?" Christa asked.

"We were at a cabin before, they could be there." Carlos explained.

"Or they could've went to the ski lodge…." Kenny said. "Or maybe even Wellington."

"So we got a list of places they could be…." Christa sighed.

"And we can search each and every one." Vince said. "We'll split up."

The others nodded.

"Dad… Do you think they're okay?" Sarah asked.

"I'm sure they're fine, Sarah." Carlos said.

"I really hope so… I miss them." Sarah frowned.

"I'm looking for them too. I can't just sit back and do nothing." Becca piped up.

Bonnie shook her head. "You can't. It's too dangerous, Becca."

"I can handle myself. I want to look for them." Becca said.

"No… We already have three kids out there, we're not putting you at risk too." Vince said.

Becca crossed her arms, an annoyed look on her face. "I'm sixteen. You guys can't keep treating me like a baby."

"We're protecting you, Becca. It's not safe out there." Bonnie said.

"Which is exactly why I want to help look for them." Becca said.

"We can handle it, Becca. Just stay here where it's safe." Russell said.

"Why?" Becca asked.

"Because that what Shel would want." Bonnie said.

Becca shot her a glare. "You don't know what Shel would want. You don't know anything."

Bonnie frowned. "Becca…"

"Just leave me alone." Becca stood and walked off.

Bonnie sighed, but said nothing.

"Shel's still a sensitive topic, I see." Carlos said.

"I think she'll always be a sensitive topic. She's her sister…" Vince said.

"Look…. Let's just go look for them." Christa said.

"Right… I'll head to Howe's." Bonnie said.

"I'll go with you." Vince said.

"Russ and I can check out Parker's Run." Wyatt said.

Russell nodded and agreement.

"Then me and Christa can head to the Ski Lodge and see if they're there." Kenny said.

"So where exactly is this ski lodge?" Christa asked.

"A good ways away. It's in Virginia." Kenny answered.

"Virginia?" Christa raised a brow.

"Blue Ridge Mountains. It'll be at least a six -hour drive…" Kenny replied.

"Alright… well…. I guess the sooner we head out the better." Christa said.

"We should all pack up some supplies, just in case we're on the road longer than we expect." Wyatt said.

"Yeah. Good idea." Christa said. "Let's not waste any time. Let's pack up and head out."

The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

"You don't think it's strange that all that food was just left in there?" Luke wondered.

"Must've been like a safe room or something." Jane said.

"You think people left it on purpose, or by accident?"

"I think since we found it, it's ours now." Jane said.

"I guess. I just don't want any trouble because we took from the wrong people." Luke said.

"You are way too paranoid." Jane replied.

"I can't help it." Luke said. "We got kids to protect."

"We're safe, Luke. We were fortunate enough to find a house that's pretty out of sight and has supplies. What more could you ask for." Jane said.

"Well… I'd feel better if this place had a good cleaning." Luke shrugged.

"True… I guess that's first on the agenda."

"Definitely." Luke said.

"Alright. Let's get this over with so we can relax." Jane said.

* * *

After the group members stocked up on supplies they climbed into different vehicles and headed out to search for the missing children.

It didn't take long for Russell and Wyatt to get to Parker's Run. The two searched the area, but there was no sign of anyone being around.

From the deck to the museum, they found no trace of Luke, Jane, or the kids.

"This is crazy…." Russell sighed. "I didn't think they'd just take off with three little kids."

"People just don't surprise me anymore." Wyatt said.

"I can't imagine what they're thinking, bringing those kids out in the cold." Russell said.

"They probably aren't thinking." Wyatt said.

"You think the others are having better luck than us?"

"I don't know... I sure as hell hope so." Wyatt said.

Russell agreed.

* * *

Luke and Jane tended to the children before they searched for some cleanser and began cleaning the house. They cleaned room from room and barricaded windows with anything they could use, until the sun began to set. After that they lit some candles and cooked some dinner in the fireplace.

After dinner they settled down for bed. They put Clementine in the child bedroom, allowing her to sleep in there.

They used an empty dresser lined with blankets to make a crib. After changing the twins, they laid them in the makeshift crib.

Despite the twins now being five months old, their adjusted age was only two months old. Luke was worried about if they'd be able to keep them warm once it got colder. They were still too small to keep much body heat.

Luke hoped they could figure something out soon.

"I think we can stay here for a while." Jane said. "It's quiet, and safe."

"I thought you didn't like staying in one play for too long." Luke said.

"Normally I don't. But I think we might have hit the jackpot with this place." Jane said.

"You think so?"

"Of course. Think about it, we don't have to walk on pins and needles anymore. We're being given a new chance. A new life. We can be a family here." Jane replied.

Luke was surprised to hear that. "A family?"

"Me, you, Clem, and the twins." Jane said. "We'll be like a family here. This can be our new start."

A small smile crossed his lips. "I… I like the sound of that."

"So do I." Jane said. "Now let's try to get some rest before the kids start crying."

Luke nodded. It wasn't too late, but they knew they should rest while the kids did, otherwise they would be exhausted.

Luke had to force himself to fall asleep. He was still worried about everything. He just hoped things would work out.

* * *

By time Bonnie and Vince arrived at Howes it was starting to get dark. They checked the hardware store. They hadn't found anyone during their search. In fact, the whole place just looked like a ghost town, it was completely deserted. They started heading back to their car.

"Everytime I think about this place, I can't help but feel awful." Bonnie said.

"I think we all feel that way…" Vince said.

"Who would've thought Bill would do something like that. And to a kid?" Bonnie sighed.

"The better question is why didn't we figure it out sooner. That kid suffered for way too long…" Vince said.

"I just… blame myself. You don't know how many times I brought her to him…" Bonnie said.

"You didn't know what was going on…." Vince said.

"But I should've known. She would cry, and throw tantrums…" Bonnie said. "She was scared. And I…I didn't know why."

"We know why now…" Vince said.

"We should've known why before. Since she had tantrums so often, I didn't know what they were about…" Bonnie said.

"When you would bring her to him, you didn't think it was odd that he kept asking for this little girl?" Vince asked.

"At times I did, but sometimes I just thought he wanted to talk." Bonnie said.

"For hours at a time? What on earth could he be talking about with a kid?" Vince scoffed.

"I don't know…. But Clem's not like other kids, she can hold a conversation with an adult." Bonnie said.

"Who cares. I don't know about you Bonnie, but even if I knew a kid was a good conversationalist, I'm not going to spend every chance I can around them. That's just creepy. That alone should've sent off alarm bells to all of us." Vince responded.

"I… thought they were bonding. They got off on the wrong foot, but things were stressful for everyone…." Bonnie said. "Bill was always telling how smart… and pretty Clem was…. Almost like he was bragging about her. He mentioned that he wanted to take her under his wing. Give her proper guidance since she didn't have any parents around."

"He didn't want her under his wing. He wanted her under him. Literally." Vince huffed.

"Yeah…." Bonnie frowned. "I just wanted to believe that Bill wasn't a bad person…"

"Well, you fooled yourself. I guess he fooled all of us for a long time." Vince sighed. "To be honest, I didn't agree with a lot of things Bill did."

"Then how come you never said anything?" Bonnie asked him.

"What was I supposed to say?" Vince said. "If I had brought Bill's negative attention to myself, things wouldn't be good for me. It was better just to keep quiet about things we didn't like."

"I guess we all felt that way… Everyone preferred to stay on Bill's good side than to stir up trouble." Bonnie said.

"I guess group pressures can override a person's instincts. I think a lot of us did things we wouldn't normally do if we were on our own… almost like a pack mentality." Vince said.

"That's what Bill wanted. He liked to be the leader of a pack." Bonnie said. "I don't think anyone really knew how bad things were until we heard that a child was being molested. And everyone was so focused on the shock of how could that happen, that we didn't realize who the obvious molester was…"

"What he did to that kid makes him the lowest of the low."

"I feel awful. If I had paid more attention…. If I actually listened to Clem when she told me she didn't want to see him, I could've stopped it all. I feel like an accomplice in a horrible act against a child." Bonnie said.

"...Bill was wrong. He was fucking sick…But… But you never thought it was weird when he kept her overnight?" Vince asked.

"Of course I did."

"Then why'd you let him?" Vince inquired.

"He'd say she wanted to stay with him… That it was too loud in the pen." Bonnie explained.

"Considering Bill was the one who locked them in there, I wouldn't think he would care much about making her comfortable, unless he was getting something in return. You know how he was. He wanted people to earn their place." Vince replied.

"I… I didn't think he was going to do anything. I didn't believe Bill was a bad guy. I thought he was just… misunderstood." Bonnie said.

"Oh, he was misunderstood alright. My question is why the hell did he target her? What did he see in her that made him want to do that sick stuff? He'd been around kids before and he never even showed the slightest interest in them. So what made Clementine different?" Vince said.

"I…. I think he was in love with her." Bonnie suddenly said.

Vince choked a bit upon hearing that. "W-What?"

"I feel like he had feelings for her…" Bonnie said.

Vince shook his head. "When you love someone, you don't hurt them. And she's a kid how could he be in love with her?"

"He definitely felt something for her. Something strong." Bonnie said. "The first time he met her, he went on and on about how he saw this brave young girl and how she "wasn't afraid to look it in the eye". He would mention how he couldn't wait to see her again. At some point he even told me that she was a "pretty little thing" and he couldn't wait to unlock her full potential."

"That's fucking weird. He was obsessed with her…" Vince said. "I'm glad he's dead."

"….Me too."

* * *

In the middle of the night the twins began wailing. They were hungry.

Luke sighed as he noticed the twins' bottles were empty. He filled them with formula and went to Clementine's room to feed the twins. He quickly grew concerned when Crystal began spitting up.

"She okay?" Jane asked, stepping in the room to lend a hand.

"I don't know if she can drink this. She's allergic to some of the formulas. And we forgot the pump…." Luke said.

"Well, she'll have to nurse." Jane simply said, motioning to Clementine who was still fast asleep.

Luke's eyes widened. "What?"

"Clem can breastfeed them." Jane said.

"But she's just a kid…" Luke protested.

"She's their mother. She should get used to breastfeeding them." Jane said.

"But…"

"If you don't want to look, then turn around or go to another room. But she has to do this." Jane replied. "The twins have to eat somehow."

Luke frowned at that.

Jane went over to Clementine proceeded to wake the child with a rough shake.

Clementine groaned, and her eyes fluttered open.

"The twins are hungry." Jane told tired girl.

Clementine sent her a blank look.

"Clem, are you listening to me?"

The child didn't respond. Jane was sure the girl was blocking them out like she usually did.

"Clementine!" Jane exclaimed, gripping the child's shoulders.

The girl gave a tiny flinch and met her eyes.

"You gotta feed the twins." Jane told her.

Luke frowned upon hearing Jane raise her voice. "Take it easy, Jane."

"They're hungry. You gotta feed them." Jane said sternly to Clementine.

"Jane, come on. It's probably not the most comfortable thing for her." Luke said.

"She doesn't have a choice. She can't just starve her kids because she's uncomfortable." Jane replied.

Luke's eyes widened when Jane tried to pull the child's shirt off her head. "J-Jane what are you doing?

"The babies are hungry."

Clementine quickly began panicking when Jane tried to remove her shirt until the woman hissed at her. "If you don't feed those kids, they'll die!"

Clementine's struggles stopped.

Luke frowned as Jane removed the girl's shirt. She slowly lifted the girl's small bra despite Clementine letting out a whimper.

Luke quickly averted his gaze.

"Give me Crystal." Jane ordered.

Luke slowly handed the wailing infant over.

Jane brought the baby to her young mother's little breast and helped her latch on. Clementine clenched her eyes shut.

Once the baby was latched on and began suckling, Jane placed her gently in Clementine's arms.

"Alright. Aleena too." Jane said.

Luke hesitated before getting the baby. He handed her to Jane. Jane held the baby and latched her on as well.

Luke could tell from Clementine's expression that she was uncomfortable. He felt bad for her.

Jane held onto Aleena while Clementine held Crystal. The girl nursed both babies until their stomachs were full. Luke and Jane burped them and rocked them gently to sleep. They put them back into their makeshift crib.

"I'm heading back to bed." Jane said. "You deal with Clem."

Luke sent her a look as she retreated to the master bedroom. Luke sighed and picked up Clementine's shirt. He slipped it back over the girl's head. The child was trembling all the while.

"It's alright, Clem… I'm sorry she did that to you." Luke said.

Clementine kept quiet.

"You try to rest, okay?" Luke laid the girl on the bed, but she gripped his sleeve as he tried to walk away. "Clem?"

The girl kept a grip on him, not speaking a word.

"You want me to stay?" Luke asked.

The child nodded.

"…Alright, kid…" Luke said. He slowly laid beside her. "Do you like it here?"

Clementine gave a shrug.

"Do you miss town…?" Luke asked.

The girl gave a small nod.

"Do you want to go back?"

The girl's next response showed him that she didn't want to answer his questions as she simply laid there and closed her eyes.

Luke took the hint. "Alright… I'll stop asking question. Get some rest, kiddo."

* * *

When morning came, Jane once again had Clementine nurse the twins. The girl was more compliant this time, though it was obvious to Luke that she was lost in her own world and had blocked out everything around her.

Once the twins were fed and back to sleep, Luke decided to confront Jane about her harshness the night before.

Jane however refused to believe she had done anything wrong. "Would you rather they starve to death?"

"Of course not. I just think you could've been nicer to Clem." Luke said.

"The world not nice. She should learn that." Jane replied.

"She learned that when she was getting raped. Give her a break, Jane." Luke said.

"How come everyone's always talking about the damn rape? It's over." Jane groaned.

"The rape's over but the memories not. It still haunts her. She's traumatized. She needs time to cope with this… Children aren't always as resilient as you think." Luke replied.

"Really? If she was that traumatized why did she keep wandering off? Why didn't she tell us what happened while it was happening? Why was she willing giving him blowjobs?" Jane huffed.

"Wha- What?" Luke felt his breath catch in his throat at her words.

"I said-"

Luke stopped her, looking horrified. "Did… Did you know she was being molested?"

"Not at first..." Jane said.

"What do you mean not at first? How did you find out?" Luke asked.

Jane paused before saying, "…I was already suspecting Carver. But I didn't know for sure…"

"Did you see anything happen to her?" Luke demanded.

"What are you getting at?" Jane quickly questioned back.

"Did you see her get raped?!" Luke hissed.

"Luke…"

"Yes or no?" Luke asked.

"I didn't see her get raped." Jane said.

Luke sighed in relief, but that relief was short lived as Jane continued.

"…I saw her in his office, I got curious so I kept watching. At first, they were just talking. She was sitting on his lap... and I thought it was a bit weird. But I ignored it." Jane said. "I went back to work, but when I looked the next day, she was doing a lot more than just sitting on his lap."

"And you didn't say anything?" Luke looked absolutely disgusted and outraged. "Are you crazy?"

"What was there to say? If she was trading sexual favors with Bill... There wasn't really much I could do about it." Jane replied.

"She's a kid! She couldn't defend herself, Jane!" Luke snapped.

"I know that now! But I didn't know she was getting raped before..." Jane said.

"So you thought she wanted it?" Luke asked.

"I'm not saying that…. I just… She wasn't fighting or screaming when I saw. She seemed perfectly fine sitting on his lap…" Jane said.

"He was grooming her, Jane. That shouldn't have happened to her. Why didn't you do the right thing when you saw her being molested?!" Luke exclaimed.

Jane couldn't even look at him. Feelings of shame flooded through her. "I was in shock. I wasn't completely sure if I saw what I thought, and so I convinced myself that I hadn't seen it..."

"You're kidding, right?" Luke bitterly voiced. "You just saw a child being abused and you decided to pretend it didn't happen?"

"I'm not the only one who did nothing about it. If the group was as concerned as they claimed to be, why keep letting her out of their sight?" Jane retorted. "Don't try to put the blame of what happened on me."

"He was taking advantage of her. Kids don't know about sex. They shouldn't. She should be playing around, daydreaming about princesses and rainbows, not living in fear because some sick fuck hurt her." Luke said. "The fact that you said nothing, is disgusting."

"Maybe I should've done something… But I'm not the only one who didn't stop him. Look at yourself before you accuse me!" Jane said before storming off.

* * *

The tank was nearing empty and Christa was worried that they would be stranded if they kept going. They had already stopped and siphoned what gas they could find, which gave them almost half a tank. They had been on the road since yesterday evening, stopping to rest when it got too dark to see, and resuming the trip at first light. Christa knew they still needed to save some gas to get back.

"How much farther?" Christa asked.

"We can walk the rest of the way." Kenny said.

Christa and Kenny slowly exited the parked car. Kenny pocketed the keys and they began to walk in silence for a few minutes. Eventually a bridge came into view and Kenny let out a sigh.

"This is where this shit started…." Kenny mumbled.

"What?" Christa asked.

"Carver showed up here, looking for Luke, Carlos, and the rest of their group. He ended up taking more than just his people back." Kenny said. "He took everyone hostage and… killed Walter…"

"Holy shit… I had no idea…" Christa frowned.

"If I had killed him… None of that stuff would've happened to Clementine." Kenny said. "I just…. This is my fault."

"He's dead now. That's what matters." Christa said.

"But Clem's in danger again." Kenny said.

"We're going to find her, and she's going to be just fine." Christa stated.

"She better be just fine." Kenny grumbled.

"She will be." Christa said. "And… about the other day… I didn't mean to say it was your fault… The only one to blame is the pedophile…"

"I'm sorry too… I know you care about, Clem. And I know you didn't just abandon her." Kenny said.

"I would never abandon her." Christa said. "She's all I got left."

The two carefully started to make their way across the bridge. Christa noted the bridge was broken up and couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever fell from it.

"Being here brings back a lot of memories…" Kenny said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"I bet…"

The two got to the edge of the bridge and checked the small house.

"Matthew used to go on these nightly walks and sleep in here. I still don't know what happened to him…" Kenny said.

"You think he's alright?" Christa asked.

"I don't know… Walter seemed pretty distraught about something, but I never got the full story…" Kenny sighed.

"Damn…" Christa said.

The two fell silent as they checked through the small house.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been here." Christa said.

"We still gotta check the lodge." Kenny said.

Christa nodded.

"It seems like everytime we find a safe place someone or something has to come along and fuck it up."

"That's just how things go. That's why I never stuck in one spot for too long." Christa said. "You got to expect the unexpected…"

They exited the small house and made their way up the hill to the ski lodge.

Once they finally got to the ski lodge they swore they heard voices inside.

"Someone's inside. Should we knock or try to sneak in?" Christa asked.

"I got this." Kenny approached a gave a loud knock on the door. They heard gasps followed by some muffled voices.

Soon the door opened revealing a woman. The woman aimed her gun quickly.

"We don't want any trouble. We just need help." Christa spoke up.

"Help?" The woman asked.

"Yes. We're looking for a few people." Christa explained.

"Who's there, mom?" A man called approaching.

The woman turned to him and said something in a language they couldn't understand.

"We're looking for a little girl and two babies... they were kidnapped." Christa said.

"Kidnapped?" The man sighed. "Put the guns down and I'll let you inside."

Kenny and Christa hesitantly did so.

* * *

Luke was still in shock from the conversation with Jane. He sighed and stepped outside where the woman was standing on the front porch. "Jane…"

"What do you want, Luke?"

"Just listen, if we're gonna make this work, we can't argue. We gotta be on the same page." Luke said.

"I know." Jane sighed.

"We all made mistakes at Howe's. We all should've done more, but we can still help her now… we can help her recover from that trauma." Luke said.

"I guess… Thanks for making me feel like a total piece of shit though." Jane replied.

"I wasn't trying to…But what did you expect? I was shocked that you know more than you let on. You could've said something, Jane. She didn't have to go through all that…" Luke said.

"I know… I regret it, but I tried to help her, by getting rid of those babies. when I realized she was pregnant…she just wouldn't listen." Jane said.

"When you tried to push her off the deck? You could've killed her." Luke said.

"She would've been fine." Jane said.

"She got through the pregnancy, she gave birth-"

"And look at her now. She can't walk. She won't speak a damn word. She's not the same kid anymore." Jane said.

"We can't change what happened. But Clementine needs us to support her. She's our responsibility now. And we gotta do right by her."

"You're right. No more mistakes." Jane said.

Luke knew it was a huge understatement for her to call that a mistake but nodded nonetheless. "No more mistakes…"

* * *

The strong smell of food cooking fills the air. The woman, who Christa realized barely spoke English, had gone to the kitchen area to cook, while Christa and Kenny sat at one of the tables talking to her son.

"I haven't seen any kids come through." The man spoke.

"You sure about that?" Kenny grumble.

"Certain." The man answered. "These people you're looking for got any names?"

The little girl's name is Clementine. She has two infant twins with her..." Christa said, leaving out the fact that the twins we Clementine's daughters. "They were kidnapped by two people. Jane and Luke."

"Lucas? Lucas is here!" The woman suddenly exclaimed from the kitchen.

"W-What?" Christa gasped.

"I go get him!" She made her way to the stairs and called out. "Lucas! Lucas, come down!"

Christa and Kenny quickly got to their feet.

Before long a person began making his way down the stairs. As soon as Kenny caught sight of the man's sweater and brown hair he was sent into rage. He ran forward to attack. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Kenny, stop!" Christa called.

Before he could get any closer the first man aimed his gun in Kenny's direction. When he fired a shot by Kenny's feet the man quickly snapped back into reality.

"You two, leave now!" The man ordered.

"W-Wait!" Christa said.

"Now or I'll shoot." The man said.

They had no choice but to oblige.

Christa shot Kenny a glare. "What the hell was all that about?"

"I… I just snapped. I couldn't help it." Kenny said.

Christa just shook her head. "Look, let's just head back to town."

"We can't. Not until we find them." Kenny said.

"Well, they're not here. Where else do you want to look?" Christa asked. "They could be anywhere."

"They… They might have gone to Wellington." Kenny said.

"They didn't even believe in Wellington." Christa scoffed. "Luke and Jane think it's a fairytale."

"Doesn't mean they won't stumble upon it." Kenny said.

"…We should head back to town first, and make sure we have a vehicle with a full tank before we go searching for Wellington." Christa said.

"Fair enough…" Kenny said.

The two headed back to their vehicle. Once inside they began the drive back to town.

* * *

The group members with the exception of Christa and Kenny had returned back to town. Sarita couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. She placed AJ down to play and looked to Carlos. "Do you think they're on their way back?"

"Probably." Carlos said. "They did have quite a ride though."

"I just hope they're okay…" Sarita said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Carlos said.

"Maybe they found them!" Sarah said.

"I hope so… But I have the feeling they didn't, sweetie" Carlos said.

"Why don't you think they did?" Sarah asked.

"Because they could be anywhere…" Carlos said.

"They won't stop looking until they find them…" Sarita said. "They'll bring them home."

"It's not safe out there. Anything could happen…" Carlos said.

"You don't think they're hurt, do you?" Sarah asked.

"No, sweetie. I'm sure they're fine…" Carlos quickly said.

"I think so too. Sarita, I'm sure they'll be back soon. Try not to worry." Sarah said.

Sarita offered the teen a small smile. "I'll try my best not to…"

* * *

Almost an hour into the ride and the car started to sputter to a stop.

"What the fuck?" Kenny said, turning the key in the ignition. The car didn't move.

Kenny scowled. "We're out of gas."

"Fuck... Try it again." Christa said.

He did, the engine coughed then went silent.

"Damn it!" Kenny slammed his fist into the side of the car.

"Calm down..." Christa said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Kenny snapped. "What the hell do we do now?"

"The only thing we can do..." Christa replied. "We walk."

"You're kidding, right? We'd be walking for at least four days."

"Do you see a tow truck around here?" Christa asked sarcastically.

Kenny shot her a look. He got out of the car, "You wanna walk?" He inquired, "Let's walk." He slammed the door, and stomped off.

Christa sighed before getting out and following after him. It felt like things just kept going wrong…


	30. Chapter 30

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

* * *

"Kenny, calm down. Being mad isn't gonna help anything…" Christa said as she walked fast to catch up with the man.

"Well, it's sure as hell helping me." Kenny grumbled.

"It's not helping us find a vehicle. And it's definitely not helping us find the kids." Christa replied.

"What? Do you expect me to be high and jolly about being stranded? This isn't my idea of a good time." Kenny said.

"I'm not saying you should be glad about anything, I'm saying you don't have to be so miserable. Things are stressful enough and complaining's not going to make a car magically appear." Christa retorted.

"It's going to take us days to get back to town, Christa. Luke and Jane could be getting farther and farther away." Kenny pointed out.

"We don't know where they went in the first place." Christa replied.

"Which is why we need to find them. We should forget going to town and head straight to Wellington." Kenny said.

"Wellington…" Christa sighed and shook her head. She was sure Wellington was out there, but she didn't want to chance looking for it without supplies. "Kenny, we don't even know where Wellington is. It could take us longer than four or five days to get there."

"But it's worth it to find them." Kenny said.

"If we run out of food while searching for Wellington, things won't be good for us. No point in getting ourselves killed. We need to make sure we're prepared for a trip like that." Christa said. "Look at what happened during this trip."

"We're just wasting time! We gotta find them before something bad happens." Kenny said.

"Nothing bad is gonna happen." Christa said.

"You don't know that." Kenny argued.

"Clem's strong. She'll be fine." Christa said.

"She can't always be strong. You saw her she was in bad shape and now they're out there who knows where it's damn cold and we both know they need a doctor around." Kenny said. "Those assholes are just going to get them killed."

"Don't say that." Christa scolded.

"It's true." Kenny replied.

Christa shook her head. "Luke won't let anything happen to them."

"It's Luke's fault they're out there! He should have never taken them!" Kenny huffed.

"I know that. And I also know he won't hurt them or let anybody else for that matter. He cares about them." Christa said.

"Yeah, he really cares. He cares so much that he took them from the one place they were safe and brought them out in the cold to freeze to death." Kenny scoffed.

Christa shot him a look. "Why are you acting like they're dead?"

"Because if we don't find them they're as good as dead." Kenny said.

"We're going to find them and they're going to be fine." Christa said.

"Well, I hope you're right. I really do." Kenny said.

* * *

"You've been so quiet." Jane spoke slowly to Luke, feeling a bit awkward.

"What do you expect me to say?" Luke huffed.

The woman shrugged. "I don't know… Anything."

"I don't know what to say to you… D-Did… Did you really see "that"?" Luke asked.

"See what?" Jane questioned back.

"Clementine… Doing what you said…?" Luke asked.

"She was on her knees, that's what I saw. She was doing something. And my assumption is… that…" Jane replied.

"But you never said a word. I just can't wrap my head around that…" Luke said.

"I told you… I didn't know she was being molested at first... I just…" Jane trailed off.

"Just what?"

"I'm not proud that I kept quiet, but I didn't know what to do." Jane said.

"You could said something. She didn't have to suffer like she did… You could've helped…" Luke said.

"It's over now! I told you I didn't know for sure!" Jane said. "And I did say something, I told them look at the signs…"

"How long did you wait to say something?" Luke asked.

"I didn't wait, I just… took time to piece together to signs. To realize that what I saw wasn't all just in my head." Jane said.

"Well, how long did that take?" Luke asked her.

"A… few days. When I saw how Clem was acting… I knew something was definitely wrong. When she first showed up at Howe's she wasn't so… panicky." Jane replied.

"Because she wasn't being raped before she got to Howe's." Luke stated.

"I know that now… But I didn't know shit about the kid before. I would've thought her group members would have noticed something was off with her. Yet it seemed no one was doing much to help her. If they really cared, why didn't they try harder?" Jane said.

"They- They were trying to get out of there. And I'm sure they were doing their best to figure out what was happening to her." Luke said.

"What about you? You weren't in the pen until the radio incident. Why weren't you there with your group? Why weren't you there for that kid?" Jane asked.

"I figured, as long as I didn't get caught, I could sneak in and maybe help get the others out…" Luke said. "Clem was with me for a while…"

"And what happened…?"

"The damn radio happened… I should've… I should've got it myself…" Luke sighed. "I'll never forgive myself for that, and after I promised to protect her…"

"Look… let's just stop talking about this…" Jane said.

"Yeah…. Fine… I feel sick just thinking about it…" Luke muttered.

"We're gonna take care of her now, she'll be fine… She won't have to worry about going through something like that again…" Jane said.

Luke nodded. "Ever again…"

* * *

"Damn it… It's too damn cold." Kenny muttered.

"We can stop and make a fire." Christa suggested.

"No… We gotta keep moving." Kenny said.

"We gotta take a break at some point. We've been walking for hours." Christa said.

"And we can keep going for a few more hours. The longer we wait, the longer Clem and the twins could be in danger." Kenny said.

"Look, I'm worried about them too…" Christa said.

"Yet you're completely calm." Kenny replied.

"Because that's how you have to be in these situations. When Clementine and I got separated before, don't you think I was scared out of my mind? I didn't know where she was or what was… happening to her. I tried not to focus on what could have happened… I just focused on finding her, and eventually I did. We're gonna find them." Christa said.

"I just don't trust them with Jane. She gives me a bad feeling." Kenny said.

"I know…"

"We should've never let her back into the group." Kenny huffed.

"She was pregnant. With Luke's kid. We couldn't just send her away." Christa said.

"She didn't even want that baby. She just used it as an excuse, because she has no one." Kenny said. "Luke's an idiot if he doesn't realize that. She doesn't care about him. She doesn't care about Clem, and she damn well doesn't care about Crystal and Aleena. She only cares about herself. And that makes her nothing."

"That's the thing though. If she doesn't want to deal with the kids, why take them from town?" Christa asked.

"Because she's fucking crazy." Kenny shrugged. "The hell if I know."

"I won't disagree with that. But I think there's another reason behind it." Christa said.

"Like what?"

"You said it yourself. Jane has no one… She lost her sister, she lost her baby, and she has no friends…" Christa said.

"What's your point?" Kenny asked.

"I think she's using them as a replacement for what she's lost." Christa explained.

Kenny looked puzzled. "Why the hell would she do that?"

Christa paused for a moment before sighing, "…You lost a son, right..?"

Kenny furrowed his brows at her unexpected question. "What the fuck-"

"And now you're looking after AJ. You've taken on a father role to him. It feels like a second chance, right?" Christa asked.

"It is my second chance. My chance to do everything right." Kenny replied.

"Maybe that's what Jane sees those kids as." Christa said.

"You think Jane could raise a kid?" Kenny scoffed. "If Clem's mind isn't screwed now, imagine how it'd be if Jane raised her and those twins."

Christa sent him a glare, "Her mind's not screwed. Don't say that."

Kenny frowned and shook his head. "I… didn't mean it like that… It just came out."

"I'm sure. Seems like you say a lot of things you don't mean." Christa replied, crossing her arms and looking upset.

"Christa, come on. I really didn't mean it like that." Kenny said.

"If people spent less time talking about how traumatized Clem was and actually helping her, maybe she wouldn't want to kill herself so badly." Christa said.

Kenny stopped in his tracks and looked to her. "She doesn't want to kill herself."

"She sure acts like she does." Christa said.

Kenny quickly shook his head. "Clem wouldn't do that. Suicide is selfish."

"Considering she's been around a bunch of selfish people, she probably be taught that giving into selfish desires are okay." Christa said.

"That's the worst thing someone can do." Kenny said. "What about all the people that get left behind?"

"What about them? If they cared in the first place the person would want to kill themselves." Christa said.

"…She would never kill herself. Fight is like her middle name. You know that. You know how strong she is. She would never give up, especially not in a horrible way." As he spoke a scene flashed through his mind, him standing in the woods as Katjaa put that gun to her head, trying to stop her before she… pulled the trigger.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "It's awful. To make people suffer, make them wonder what they could've done."

"That's the point… They want to stop caring." Christa said.

"Clem, knows we care about her, we would never stop caring about her." Kenny argued.

"She needs people to show her that, not just let her assume." Christa said.

"I do… I try to." Kenny said.

"I'm always worried about her, but sometimes it feels like I'm the only one." Christa said.

"I worry about her too. But what am I supposed to say when she hurts herself? I hate seeing her like that." Kenny said.

"So do I. It's the hardest thing to see her hurting… Not just physically." Christa said. "She needs support, and love. And not just from me."

"I know… We… We just gotta get them back." Kenny said.

"We will. We'll keep searching until we do." Christa said.

* * *

"This is crazy…" Bonnie muttered. "Should we go looking for them?"

"No… They're probably on their way back as we speak." Carlos said.

"They should've been back by now… Something might've happened." Vince said.

"If it did we can't do much to help. They're hours away." Carlos said.

"So what do we do?" Russell asked.

"We wait. And hope for the best." Carlos replied.

"What about Clem and the twins? Nobody had any luck finding them." Sarita asked with a frown.

The group members shook their heads.

"We need to wait until Kenny and Christa come back before we risk sending anyone else out there." Carlos said.

"I'm with Carlos on this one. It's too risky to send anyone else out there right now." Wyatt said.

"Plus with the way the wind is out there, it looks like we might have a storm ahead of us…" Russell said.

"That's the last thing we need right now…" Bonnie sighed.

"I hope Luke and Jane at least have those kids some place warm." Vince muttered.

"If they haven't come back, it must mean they've found some kind of shelter." Carlos said.

"You know… In every group…. There's a bad seed rocking the boat. Luke's never been that guy…" Bonnie said.

"I don't know how it went down, but Jane obviously got in his head." Wyatt muttered. "They just screwed the group."

"I thought on many occasion about taking Sarah and going elsewhere, but I would never put my child at risk. Never." Carlos said. "And I'm honestly beyond shocked that Luke would do this."

"We all are. For as long as I've known Luke he's never been the type of person to just leave the group behind…" Bonnie said.

"People change…" Wyatt said. "And when people are under stress they become unpredictable."

"As soon as Kenny and Christa return the search can be resume. But until then no one should leave town. We can't risk have everyone get split up or stranded." Carlos said.

"I'm so worried right now…" Sarita said. "I can't believe all this is happening."

"Yeah… We can never catch a break." Russell added.

"Luke made a mistake… I… I'm sure he'll realize it soon." Bonnie said. "We all made mistakes."

"Yeah, everyone makes mistakes. But those kids' futures, shouldn't be at the expense of Luke and Jane. Luke's more worried about what Jane wants, instead of just worrying about those kids." Vince said. "This place was their home, and they ripped them out of here and put them who knows where. I think they're doing those kids an injustice."

"They probably thought they were helping. Clem… didn't seem very happy here." Bonnie said.

"You're right. I'm sure she's a lot happier out there freezing her ass off." Vince scoffed.

"That's not what I'm saying, Vince." Bonnie replied.

"You're trying to justify their actions, or at least Luke's actions, but there's no excuse." Vince said.

"There was an obvious disconnect among the group." Bonnie muttered.

"Because people overstep their boundaries. Stop kissing Luke's ass. He screwed up." Vince coldly replied.

Bonnie frowned at that. "I'm not kissing his ass. I'm just saying-"

Vince stopped her. "They had a lot of support in this town. And what do they do? They snatch the children away. They took little Clementine away from two people she's known from years. The people she trusted the most. Funny how Jane shows up and everything starts going downhill."

"Things were already downhill… We just finally hit the bottom…" Wyatt muttered.

* * *

Sarah could hardly focus on the board game she and Becca were playing. She couldn't stop fidgeting. She was worried about her friend and the twins. "Do you think they're okay…?"

"I… I don't know…" Becca said. "I wish we could go looking for them ourselves."

"But we can't. It's too dangerous out there." Sarah said, eyes wide.

"That's the worst part. Those idiots took Clem and the twins out there. They could freeze to death or something…" Becca replied.

Sarah paled at Becca's words. "Don't say that. Please don't say that."

"It's true. Anything could happen." Becca said. "They could get attacked, or… worse."

"Stop it! I don't want to think about that!" Sarah exclaimed.

"It's not like it doesn't happen all the time. Maybe this world just wasn't made for kids." Becca said.

Sarah shook her head. "They're not gonna die. Stop it."

"For all we know they could already be dead…" Becca muttered.

"I said stop it!" Sarah exclaimed.

Becca cocked a brow. "Fine. Just chill, would you?"

"Then stop trying to scare me!" Sarah said.

"Scare you? Is that what you think I'm doing? I'm just being realistic." Becca said. "You should grow up, Sarah. Stop being so naïve."

"Don't tell me to grow up. I'm already worried about them. We all are. You don't have to say horrible things like that." Sarah retorted.

"They haven't found them yet. I'm starting to think we might never see them again." Becca said.

Sarah pushed the board game aside. "Stop it, Becca! They're gonna find them."

"Why don't you stop being stupid. When people go missing if they're not found in the first forty-eight hours, you might as well assume they're dead." Becca said.

Sarah disagreed. "Daddy said they're fine! Luke wouldn't let anything bad happen to them."

"Of course he wouldn't. He just wanted to better their lives by getting them a case of pneumonia." Becca scoffed.

"Why do you always have to say such horrible things?"

"I'm not. It's just unrealistic to believe that life is always sunshine and rainbows." Becca said. "When are you going to realize that?"

"Luke's a good guy. He always protected the group when we were at the cabin…" Sarah said.

"Just because he's nice doesn't mean anything. No one's found them yet, which means they probably won't. They gone. Forever. Deal with it." Becca said.

Sarah sent Becca a shocked expression. Her eyes then narrowed. "You're nothing like Clem.

"I don't want to be like Clem. Look at where she is and where I am." Becca stated.

"At least she's nice. At least she cares about people." Sarah said.

Becca opened her mouth to say something, but she had no words.

Sarah continued to pounce. "She's never teased me. She never ignored me or made fun of me. She never called me an idiot or a baby!"

There wasn't much Becca could say in defense. Back when Shel was around Becca never made the point of trying to get to know Sarah or anyone else for that matter. For the simple reason of: she didn't need them.

She and Shel were so close her sister was the only friend she ever needed.

Sarah kept up with her rant. "You ignored me until we got to town. And even then, you were still mean to me. And Clem too!"

The teens face was red. She looked like she was about to cry.

Becca wished she wouldn't. Tears didn't bring anyone back. Tears didn't change anything. She learned that a long time ago.

"What do you want me to say?" Becca asked.

"I want you to stop being so mean!" Sarah said. "And stop acting like Clem's dead… Luke wouldn't let anything bad happen to her or the twins. I know that. He and Alvin were the nicest at the cabin. They never yelled, even when they were mad… They were always nice to me… Everyone at the cabin was nice. Everything was perfect there… I know you don't believe things can be happy and good, but it was! Until… Until Carver came along and messed everything up!" Sarah said. "I hate him! I hate him so much!"

Becca was stunned, she didn't know how to respond.

"He ruined everything! He got everyone killed and h-hurt my best friend! He got her pregnant and almost killed her too! I hate him!" Sarah broke into tears. "I hate him! I hate him!"

"S-Sarah?"

"I tried to help her, but I couldn't… Even when he promised not to hurt her, he ended up doing it anyway…" Sarah whimpered.

"W-What are you talking about…?" Becca stammered.

"He… He kept talking about how pretty Clem was… I thought I could save her, but she started screaming and he got angry… In the end, she saved me…" Sarah said.

"What happened then?" Becca asked.

"I… I calmed her down and… fell asleep…" Sarah said. "And… he did what he wanted with Clem… He just let me sleep… I should have stayed up to save her."

"You couldn't do anything. You're just a kid… Carver… He was sick… And he was… attracted to Clementine. He was gonna do what he wanted with her regardless." Becca sighed. "I had no idea that happened…"

"It was awful…" Sarah said. "But… Troy was worse… He… He made me hold her down…"

Becca frowned. "Shit… I'm so sorry, Sarah…"

Sarah took a moment to wipe her tears. "Clem can't be dead! She's my best friend! My first real friend. She can't die! Stop saying she is!"

Becca just kept quiet. As much as she wanted to be hopeful that Clementine and the twins were okay, she didn't know if she believed they were.

* * *

With Clementine and the twins taken care of and all seemly exhausted, Luke and Jane ended up moving the large king-sized mattress from the master bedroom and placed it beside the fireplace.

They settled the children into the living room, to keep them warm by the fire. With the twins in their makeshift crib, bundled side by side in blankets, they let Clementine rest on the large mattress.

Despite the sun just starting to set, it was cold, Clementine was practically buried under a multitude of covers.

"What do you think of this place?" Jane suddenly asked.

Luke shrugged. "It's okay, now that is not filthy... I guess we can consider it a nice temporary home."

"You think we can wait out the winter here?" Jane wondered.

"The entire winter? I don't know about that." Luke said. "It's already really cold."

"With the fire going it's not too bad..." Jane said.

Luke sent her a look. "You're joking, right? We're gonna have to move on sooner or later. Some place warm."

"We just found this place. It's not everyday you stumble upon a decent building. We shouldn't rush to leave." Jane said.

Luke sighed. "Well, we're gonna have to figure some things out."

"What's there to figure out? We have food, water, and shelter, and it all fell right into our laps." Jane said.

"But we can't keep the kids in the cold." Luke said.

"If we take them out there it'll be worse. They'll be in the cold without a fireplace." Jane pointed out.

"I… I guess you're right." Luke muttered.

"Let's just… try to rest before the kids wake up." Jane suggested.

"Alright." Luke agreed.

* * *

Upon hearing his daughter's sudden yells, Carlos quickly got to his feet and went to see what was wrong. "Sarah? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I… I miss Clementine." Sarah whimpered out as she stood to hug her father.

Carlos sighed and patted the girl's back. "I know, honey. They're looking for her now…"

"Is… Is she dead?"

Carlos was surprised by the question. "Wh-What?"

"She's not dead, right? Her and the twins are okay?" Sarah asked.

"They're perfectly fine. We're gonna find them soon, sweetie. Trust me."

"O-Okay…" Sarah sniffled.

Becca nearly rolled her eyes at that.

"Let's get you something to drink, okay?" Carlos suggested.

Sarah gave a small nod.

Carlos led his daughter away, while giving Becca a suspicious look. He knew she must've said something.

After getting Sarah a water bottle, he sat with her until she calmed down.

"I just… wish we could go back." Sarah said.

"Back where?" Carlos asked the teen.

"Back in time… Back to the cabin..." Sarah said. "I miss everyone."

"I know you do…" Carlos said. "But things are going to get better. I promise."

"I… I hope so…"

"How about you sit with Sarita for a bit. Help her with AJ." Carlos said.

"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked her father.

Carlos avoided answering her question, instead he replied, "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

"Okay…" Sarah agreed.

Carlos walked the teen over to Sarita asking her to keep an eye on her. Sarita agreed.

Carlos then made his way to Becca who was now talking to Russell. The doctor cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. "Becca…"

"Sup." The teen said.

"I don't appreciate you telling my daughter that her friend is dead." Carlos said.

"Really? I didn't think you even cared about Clem." Becca said.

"Becca…" Russell sighed.

"He doesn't care about her. You know he doesn't." Becca huffed.

"Of course I do." Carlos stated.

"We all care about her, Becca." Russell said.

"Yeah right." Becca said. "I've see how he talks to her."

"I talk to her the way I have to. In certain situations, you have to be strict on a child." Carlos said.

"You're not strict. You're downright rude. You treat her like she's done something wrong." Becca said.

"Only when she DOES do something wrong." Carlos said.

"Like what? Kissing your daughter?" Becca inquired.

Carlos fought the urge to snap at the teen.

"I gotta admit, you do cross the line sometimes…" Russell suddenly said.

Carlos shot him a look. "Me? Clementine crossed the line when she kissed my daughter! That… That was inappropriate."

"And your reaction wasn't? Clem told me you nearly hit her." Becca said.

"I didn't… I do care about Clementine, believe it or not. I just… have a hard time keeping my patience. And I will admit, I need to work on that." Carlos said.

"You're a doctor. Aren't you supposed to have a lot of patience? I mean you used to treat people for a living. Did you treat them like Clem?" Becca questioned.

"No… I… Clementine is my most difficult case." Carlos admitted.

"And why is that?" Russell asked.

"Because I've never dealt with a child victim… Not one who's been through so much…" Carlos said. "Stress gets to me too. I'm only human."

"So is she." Becca said.

"I know…" Carlos sighed. "…The point of this conversation is, you need to learn to control what comes out of your mouth."

"I guess we both need to learn that." Becca said.

"Don't try to turn this around. You have no right to make my daughter cry." Carlos said.

"I didn't make her cry." Becca insisted. "At least not on purpose… If anything the stress of everything made her cry."

"Look, let's just… calm down. Everyone's had a tough few days. We're all worried and on edge. No need to argue…" Russell said.

"Like I would argue with a child." Carlos scoffed. "I'm merely getting to the bottom or the reasoning for my daughter being so upset."

"She's upset because her friend is missing. I think that's a reason for anyone to be upset, Carlos…" Russell replied.

"I suppose you're right…" Carlos sighed.

"Yeah. There's a lot going on. I'm not surprised she's feeling upset." Russell said.

Carlos nodded in agreement. "I should probably get back to her."

"Yeah…" Russell nodded.

Once the doctor had walked away Becca spoke again, "Hey… thanks for standing up for me."

"I don't know what you did this time, but… I'm honestly tired of all the fighting. We should be focused on finding Clem and the twins, not who did what to who." Russell said.

"Do you think they're okay…?"

"You want my honest opinion?" Russell asked.

"You think I'd want a fake one?" Becca huffed.

"I really don't know if they're okay or not… I have no idea what Luke was thinking, or Jane for that matter. I mean, Jane's always been a mystery… But I'm still pretty surprised." Russell said.

"They're idiots, obviously." Becca said.

"I guess they thought it would be better out there. With all the drama in this group, I can't say I blame them for wanting to leave. But the fact that they took the kids really bothers me." Russell said.

"I know… If they really wanted to go, they should've went alone." Becca said.

"Luke wouldn't have left the twins." Russell told her.

"They might not even be his." Becca said. "I bet they're Carver's."

"He's convinced himself that he's the father. I think it's a good thing that he looks after them so much, but he just made a stupid mistake." Russell mumbled. "I just hope he realizes that soon…"

"It's hard not to be nervous when you've lost so many people." Becca said.

"I know, Becca…" Russell sighed.

"It really sucks…"

Russell nodded. "Yeah… It does…."

* * *

As it got later, Kenny and Christa gathered up some firewood. After getting enough wood, they found an area to camp for the night and laid down the pile of wood. Christa quickly work upon starting up a fire.

"I can't believe it's gotten so cold this fast." Kenny complained.

"Well, it is winter…" Christa shrugged.

"You think Luke and Jane got those kids somewhere warm?" Kenny asked, sounding concerned.

"I think so… I'm sure they've found some kind of shelter at least… And knowing Luke's there he'll make sure they're feed and taken care of…" Christa said.

"It not Luke I worry about. I think Luke's an idiot, but I know he wouldn't hurt those kids." Kenny said. "Jane on the other hand, I never trusted her, and I never will."

"I'm with you there… But Luke's not gonna let Jane hurt them either." Christa said.

"The fact that she convinced him to leave bothers me. Who knows what else she could convince him to do." Kenny said.

"Luke's not gullible, she must've been pressing him about leaving for a while." Christa said.

"And somehow she managed to get him to go along with her stupid idea." Kenny huffed. "I'm just worried. It's too cold for those kids to be outside. I hope they at least have them warm by a fire…"

"They're going to be okay… Just try to calm down." Christa said. The way he was getting worked up was making Christa feel a nervous herself.

"I can't calm down! I just can't believe this is happening…"

"Kenny, please…" Christa sighed.

Kenny sighed. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep. We'll get on the road in early morning."

"Yeah… Alright…" Christa said.

* * *

The group members were on edge. They were all worried about their still missing group members. That morning when the group had gathered around for breakfast Carlos seemed distracted. He was busily writing in a journal and had asked Vince and Wyatt to assist him in gathering supplies from the hospital.

The two men agreed and after breakfast they headed out.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Wyatt asked.

"I've been working on a design for a prosthetic arm. I've done some research and would like to attempt to make one." Carlos explained as they walked down the hospital halls, lighting the way with their flashlights.

"You can do that?" Wyatt asked.

"Depending on what supplies I can get, I should be able to." Carlos said. "I know what I need, but I'd like to have you two as my lookouts."

"That's amazing." Vince said. "At least something positive is happening."

"It's going to take a while to make, but I think it'll help Sarita." Carlos said.

"Yeah. That should be a good thing…" Vince said. "Let's find those supplies."

* * *

"She's such a good baby…" Jane said as she rocked Aleena.

"Huh?"

"Goldilocks, here. She's so calm." Jane said.

Jane favored one twin over the other and she had no shame in showing it. She preferred Aleena, who she considered the easy-going twin. Luke noticed on several occasions that Jane seemed eager to tend to Aleena, more so than Crystal.

Luke thought it was wrong. The children should be getting equal attention and treatment. "They're both good babies." Luke said. "You know you can pay attention to the other kids too."

"I have been." Jane claimed.

"Not much. You're mostly focused on Aleena." Luke said.

"I don't think the other one- er, Crystal likes me too much." Jane said.

"She just needs time to warm up." Luke told her.

"Well, I'm sure our little Jamie wouldn't cry much." Jane said. "She'd be like Aleena."

"Babies cry. There's nothing wrong with that." Luke replied.

"I'm not saying there is. I just… I think some babies cry more than others." Jane said.

"In other words, you're saying Crystal cries more than Aleena." Luke huffed.

"Is there something wrong with being honest?" The woman asked.

"I don't think you should compare children. It's wrong. They're both babies. They're gonna cry." Luke said. "Besides, Aleena cries as much as Crystal."

Jane sighed. "Why do you have to make everything such a big deal?" She asked. "It's not like I have anything against the children. I just think it's nice that Goldilocks is so easy to calm down. I like that about her."

"So you're bothered because Crystal doesn't calm for you?" Luke asked.

"I wouldn't say it bothers me. But I don't want to hear any kid cry everytime I go near them, who does." Jane said.

"When you talk like that it sounds like it bothers you." Luke said. "And another thing, the girls have names. Crystal and Aleena."

"I know, Luke. I know."

"Try to remember it, okay?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

Luke just sighed at her response.

* * *

"I wish we could just find them already." Kenny muttered as he and Christa gathered what supplies that had and began walking again.

"We're going to find them. We have to." Christa said.

Silence fell for a while as they kept walking.

"I had a dream last night…" Kenny suddenly said.

"Oh? What about?" Christa asked.

"Well… It was more of a nightmare really." Didn't start out that way but… it turned into one." Kenny said. "I saw my wife… my son… We were at the motor inn. And Clementine… she was a happy little eight-year old again. The kid I knew before, always wearing a sunny smile, even when she was hurting."

"She had that smile when I first met her… Now I look at her and wonder where it went." Christa frowned at the thought.

"It was ripped away by the cruelty of the world and a sick bastard who wanted to know what it was like to have sex with a child." Kenny grumbled.

"At least he's dead." Christa said.

"Yeah. I never like to think someone deserves to die, but him and every sick fucker that touched her deserved to rot. Carver deserved a more gruesome death than what I gave him. If I could bring him back and kill him all over again, I would." Kenny said.

"He can't hurt her anymore. That's what matters." Christa responded.

"Yeah…" Kenny said.

"So… what else happened in that dream of yours?" Christa asked.

"It was… like watching a movie. One minute the kids were playing, and everything was fine. The next I hear screams. Everyone around is dying, and I can't do a thing about it. It's like I'm frozen and I can't do anything to help. And then… And then I hear Clementine yelling to me. She's scared, and I see that Carver asshole has a hold of her arm. I try to run to her, but they just…. Disappear…" Kenny explained. "Then I woke up. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick."

"That Carver guy can't hurt her. He'll never hurt anyone again…" Christa said.

"I know… That dream just… made me feel so useless." Kenny said.

"You're not. Don't ever think that." Christa told him.

"I just wanna find those kids before something happens." Kenny said. "I feel like I'm losing my mind right now. I can't handle losing another child."

"We're not going to lose them." Christa said.

"It feels like we already did." Kenny responded.

"Don't say that. They'll be fine…" Christa replied.

"Fine? Do you remember the last time things were fine?" Kenny asked. "I sure as hell don't."

"If I'm being honest… I really don't either, but I know I have to be strong when everyone else wants to be weak." Christa said. "When I found Clementine, I realized how much she'd been through, I also realized something else."

"What's that?"

"That I had been selfish. I was so wrapped up in what I had lost that I wasn't paying attention to what was still there. I neglected Clementine for months." Christa said.

Kenny was surprised to hear that. Christa was always so good with Clementine. "Neglected her?"

"Not physically, but emotionally. And I feel awful about it. Clementine's life has been replete with trauma and emotional abandonment. She's always just dealt with stuff, coped with her pain without so much of a complaint…" Christa said. "So when I see a little girl who has always been so strong suddenly seem broken… I feel like a failure. Because… Because I wasn't there when she needed me the most."

"That's the difference between us. You weren't there. You couldn't have done anything… I was… And I still couldn't help her… I could help her. Couldn't help my son, or my wife… If anyone's the failure, it's me..." Kenny said.

"That's not true, Kenny… Clementine wouldn't want to hear you talk like that…" Christa said. "We're looking for her and the twins now…That needs to be our focus. Not the mistakes we made in the past. We can't change that."

"You're right. We find them and then what?" Kenny asked.

"We take them back to town and make sure no one takes them again." Christa said.

"What if they are in Wellington?"

"Then maybe we can convince the group to move there…" Christa replied.

"And if not?"

"We do what's best for the kids. Always." Christa answered.

* * *

When Carlos, Vince, and Wyatt returned from the hospital Carlos immediately went to check on Sarah. The teen was playing with AJ. Upon spotting her father she jumped up and hugged him.

Carlos returned the hug. "The others still aren't back yet?"

Sarita shook her head. "Bonnie and Russell went to check around the gate, but nothing's changed so far…"

Carlos sighed and broke the hug. "Sarah, let me talk to Sarita for a bit. You go back to playing with the baby."

Sarah nodded and did so.

"Was everything okay?" Carlos asked Sarita. "How was Sarah?"

"She was fine. She was helping me out with the baby." Sarita said.

"That's good…" Carlos said. "She… cried herself to sleep last night…"

Sarita gasped. "That's awful."

"I know… I hate that she has to go through all this stress right now…" Carlos said.

"Times are hard for everyone…. But things will get better soon." Sarita said.

"Right…" Carlos muttered. "Has Sarah, said anything to you?"

"Not really. She mostly kept to herself." Sarita told him.

"I see… On another note, how's your arm?" Carlos asked.

"I've gotten kind of used to not… having it." Sarita said.

"I… think I might be able to create a prosthetic." Carlos informed her.

"Really?" Sarita was surprised, but curious.

"It will take me some time, but I should be able to make a functional prosthetic." Carlos said.

"I would definitely appreciate it." Sarita responded.

"I'll do my best." Carlos promised.

"Thank you."

* * *

That night proved to be extremely cold. Luke had built up a fire in the fireplace to keep the house warm.

They had plenty of blankets and made sure to keep bundled upon in them. They both knew it was important to make sure the children kept warm. Especially the twins. Since they arrived they would boil water into order to take warm baths. Jane would help Clementine bathe and Luke would usually handle bathing the twins.

They would dress the twins in double layered clothing to keep the cold off them.

They piled blankets into the makeshift crib, carefully so the infants wouldn't suffocate. They knew the house had to stay warm or the children could easily freeze to death.

"It's freezing in here…" Luke sighed.

"If we keep the fire running, we should be fine." Jane said.

"We'll have to make sure we don't run out of wood, we're gonna burn through it fast…" Luke said.

"We'll go on runs when we have to."

"We'll probably have to soon… Honestly, if we stock up now it'll be better than trying to get some when we're out." Luke said.

"I guess you're right. We can try to get some tomorrow…." Jane said.

"We can't both go."

"Why not?" Jane asked.

"One of us has to stay with the children." Luke said.

"I'm sure Clementine can handle the twins..." Jane said.

"Clementine can't even walk right now." Luke pointed out. "We can't leave the kids on their own, Jane."

"So what do you suggest?" Jane questioned.

"We gotta get wood at some point… But only one of us is gonna be able to go." Luke said.

"I guess I can do it. I'm used to doing runs on my own." Jane offered.

"You sure? I could take this one if you want." Luke said.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." Jane said.

"If you did this run, I'll take the next…" Luke said.

"Deal." Jane replied. "I'm gonna head out tomorrow morning."

Luke nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

After walking for hours, Christa had finally managed to convince Kenny to stop for the night. She started up a fire and the two sat in silence.

Eventually, she decided to try to get some rest. Kenny however, stayed up.

"You should try to get some sleep." Christa said.

Kenny shook his head. "I can't. Not when Clem's still out there."

"We'll find her, Kenny. We will…"

"You get some rest. Haven't really slept in two years, another sleepless night ain't gonna kill me." Kenny said.

Christa sighed at that. She knew he was still blaming himself about everything, but she decided to give him some space.

The woman laid down and tried to force herself to sleep. It took a while, but she finally succeeded.

* * *

With Jane planning on getting wood tomorrow she headed to bed, while Luke stayed up all night making sure the children were okay and tending to the fire.

It had probably been two hours before the twins woke up crying. Luke changed their diapers and then tried rocking them back to sleep.

Their wailing continued, eventually waking Jane. The woman sat up. "Why are they crying?"

"They're babies, Jane. Babies cry." Luke simply said.

"Well, make them stop crying." Jane hissed. "How are we supposed to get any rest when they're crying like that?"

"I'm trying to calm them down, Jane." Luke said.

"What are they crying for?" Jane asked.

"I… think they're hungry."

"Then wake Clem up." Jane said as she stood up. "Common sense."

"Jane-"

The woman had already began nudging the sleeping twelve-year old awake. When the child's eyes fluttered open Jane said, "You gotta feed the twins."

Jane pulled the girl into sitting position.

"Jane… I can handle this." Luke said. He didn't want the situation getting out of hand.

"Doesn't seem very handled to me." Jane said.

"You're not giving me a chance." Luke said.

"In case you forgot I gotta get more firewood tomorrow, and I'd like to get some sleep." Jane said.

"These kids are our responsibility now. If you didn't want to hear them cry, you should have never asked us to leave town." Luke said.

"You agreed to leave town, meaning you wanted to. So stop acting like you regret it." Jane said. "Give me the babies so she can feed them."

Luke sighed but obliged. As much as he hated making Clementine do this, they couldn't just let the twins be hungry.

Jane passed the infants to Clementine who held them without a word. "You gotta feed them, Clem."

Clementine already knew what to do at this point. She didn't protest as Jane helped hold the twins, so she could nurse them.

Luke couldn't help but worry that Clementine would only be more traumatized from Jane's actions.

Jane waited a while until she was sure Clementine would be fine without help. She went back to lay down. "I'm sure you can handle things from here." She said to Luke.

Luke didn't respond. He averted his gaze until Clementine had finished nursing the twins. It had been around twenty minutes before Clementine adjusted her shirt. Luke took that as his cue to take and burp the twins.

At first Clementine refused to release her grip on the babies.

"It's okay, Clem. Everything's alright." Luke spoke, in a gentle voice. "I'll give them right back to you."

With that Clementine slowly loosened her grip.

Luke took Crystal first and burped her before laying her in the makeshift crib. The baby started cooing.

Luke just hoped she didn't start crying. He proceeded to pick up Aleena and burp her. Aleena, however, seemed cranky as she started crying and wouldn't calm. Luke tried rocking her, but the baby's wails only grew louder.

Eventually, Crystal started crying as well.

Luke looked to the cradle and went to pick her up as well. He struggled to calm the two, but to no avail.

Jane groaned. "Luke, what's wrong now?"

"Don't worry about it, Jane." Luke continued rocking the twins.

"Hard not to worry about it when they're keeping me awake." Jane said.

"I'm sorry, alright, Jane? I can only do so much." Luke huffed.

"Want me to handle this too?" Jane asked in a mocking manner.

"I want you to stop complaining." Luke replied.

"I haven't even really started complaining yet." Jane said.

Luke noticed Clementine throw her hands over her ears and clench her eyes shut. "Jane…. Look, arguing's not helping anything."

Jane stood up, shaking her head. "Whatever, I'll come back once it's quiet."

"Where are you going?" Luke asked.

"To sleep in the other room. I'd rather be in the cold and quiet than have to endure their crying." Jane said.

Luke started to speak but stopped. It wasn't worth it. He waited for her to leave, then walked over to Clementine. "It's okay, kiddo." He placed Aleena in her lap.

Clementine opened her eyes and moved her hands from her ears. She started rocking the baby. Aleena quickly calmed.

Luke sighed in relief and went back to rocking Crystal. Once the baby was close to drifting off he placed her in the makeshift crib. He went back to take Aleena but was quickly deterred when the baby whimpered. "Alright, you wanna stay with your mommy, I get it. Clem, how about you get her to sleep then I'll put her in her crib."

Clementine nodded. Luke took a seat on the mattress and waited until Aleena dozed off. Once he was sure the baby was asleep he took her from Clementine's arms and placed her in the crib next to Crystal.

"Alright, Clem. Let's get some rest."

The girl nodded and laid down. Luke did so as well. He figured Jane would return once she realized it was quiet.

It wasn't long before the two had fallen asleep.

* * *

When morning came Christa and Kenny set out again. They were both exhausted, but they wanted to get to town fast.

They walked for a while until they made it to a deserted road. As they continued walking Kenny suddenly spotted a motorcycle on the ground.

"Hold on." He called to Christa

Christa stopped and raised a brow. "What are you thinking?"

"This could be out ticket home…." Kenny said.

* * *

When Luke had awoke that morning, he was surprised that Jane still hadn't returned to the living room from the night before.

He sat up as he heard Crystal cooing and gurgling from her makeshift crib and moments later he heard Aleena start whimpering. Luke stood and went to check on the twins.

"Hey girls… Daddy's here." He picked the two up rocking them a bit.

Once the twins quieted down, Luke made his way over to little Clementine and nudged her awake. He noted that the child was looking a bit pale. "Clem, kiddo. Time to wake up."

Clementine gave a small moan but didn't stir.

Luke continued nudging her, the child let out a whine and her eyes fluttered open. "I'm sorry, kid. I… The twins are hungry…"

He felt bad for waking her, but he was also concerned with how lethargic the girl seemed as she tended to her daughters. After the twins were fed and changed Luke laid them back in their little crib.

He then tried to convince Clementine to eat something, but the child refused. Luke assumed the child was just tired and allowed her to go back to sleep.

With the kids once again resting, he decided to get the firewood, so Jane could rest. After finding a coat to put on, he made his way to the room Clementine had slept in before.

Luke called to the woman, who fortunately was a light sleeper.

"Jane," The woman opened her eyes as she heard the call of her name. She was surprised to see Luke standing in the doorway, wearing a coat.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked him.

"To get the firewood." Luke replied.

"What? I said I would do it." Jane said.

"I figured you could get some rest this way." Luke shrugged.

Jane quirked a brow. "Rest? If you leave me with the kids, there's no way I'll be getting any rest."

"The kids are fine. They've already eaten, and I changed the twins." Luke said.

"And they didn't cry? I didn't hear anything." Jane asked.

"They don't cry every time they wake up, Jane." Luke said. "Aleena cried a bit… But they're both sleeping now."

"What if they wake up and start crying?" Jane asked.

"Then comfort them. Hopefully they'll sleep until I get back though." Luke said. "And Clem can help calm them down."

"…How long do you think you'll be?" Jane asked.

"Not too long… Probably." Luke answered.

"…Alright…" Jane sighed.

"If the twins cry… just try humming to them." Luke suggested.

"Humming, are you serious?" Jane scoffed.

"Works for me." Luke said. "Clem usually has an easier time with Aleena."

"I can handle Aleena. She's usually calm when I have her." Jane said.

"Alright… Also, can you make sure Clem has her medicine." Luke asked.

"Got it."

"Good… I don't think she's feeling well…" Luke told her.

"Why do you say that?" Jane asked.

"She seemed really tired." Luke said.

"Well her kids kept her up all night. I'm sure she is." Jane said.

"She didn't want to eat anything either."

Jane seemed less concerned as she shrugged and said, "She'll eat when she gets hungry enough."

"I guess… I'll try to be fast. You should try to get some rest. I'm sure you didn't sleep to well, since you were in the cold last night." Luke said.

"What about you?" Jane asked.

"I slept fine. Once the kids were asleep." Luke said.

"Lucky you." Jane scoffed.

"Well, you should try to catch some winks before the kids get up." Luke suggested.

"Yeah, I will. Be careful out there." Jane said.

"Will do." Luke said.

* * *

Christa looked to the motorcycle and raised a brow. "You think it works?"

"I sure as hell hope so. I think I can try to get it running." Kenny replied as he pulled the motorcycle upright.

"I guess it's worth a shot." Christa said.

Kenny nodded. He started to examine the motorcycle. The key was missing.

"The battery could be dead." Christa pointed out.

"Won't know until I turn it on. The key's missing." Kenny said.

"Then I guess we should try to find it." Christa said.

Kenny agreed. The two started to look for the key.

Christa noticed a trail of blood which lead to the guardrail she followed it and glanced down to see a walker, wearing a helmet and other riding gear. "Kenny, over here!"

Kenny made his way over and looked down. "Well, fuck."

"He probably has the key." Christa noted.

"Fuck that. We gotta use something else." Kenny huffed.

"Like what?"

"Maybe a screwdriver." Kenny said.

"I don't see any tool boxes around here." Christa said. "What about a knife?"

"That might work." Kenny said.

Christa reached into her pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. She handed it to Kenny. "Give it a try.

Kenny took the knife and stuck it in the ignition. He managed to turn it and was surprised when it started up after a few tries. "Fuck yes!"

"Nice. You know how to drive it?" Christa asked.

"Wouldn't have started it if I didn't." Kenny climbed on. "Hop on."

Christa slowly obliged. She tightly gripped him. "Take it easy, okay."

"We won't get anywhere driving like a turtle." Kenny started the motorcycle at a fast speed, ignoring Christa's protest.

* * *

Jane was feeling frustrated. The twins were crying, and Clementine was refusing to take her medicine. All the noise was giving Jane a headache.

The young twelve-year old's face was flushed, and she was warm with a fever. Yet, the girl refused to take her Propranolol, or the cough medicine Jane was trying to get her to take.

"Clementine, this is ridiculous! Do you want to have another seizure?" Jane snapped.

The child still refused.

"Fine!" Jane groaned and placed the twins into Clementine's arms.

The woman stepped into the kitchen with the medicine in her hands. Her solution was to mix the medications into a bottle of water and let it dissolve. After that she headed back to the living room and managed to convince Clementine to drink the water after continuous urging.

Once the bottle was half empty, Jane sighed, "Alright… I need to take a walk."

Clementine was surprised when Jane pulled a coat and shoes on and stormed out the house, leaving her alone with the twins.

* * *

Russell and Bonnie stood by the gate, keeping an eye out for their other group members. Everyone was worried and took turns patrolling the area to check if they had returned.

"This is crazy… I can't believe they're not back yet." Russell sighed.

"I know… I'm worried about them." Bonnie said.

"We all are." Russell said.

"Maybe we should-"

The two flinched as they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. The noticed a motorcycle driving towards the town.

Russell's eyes widened. "Is that-"

"Speak of the devil. They're back!" Bonnie said.

* * *

When Jane returned to the house, it was quiet. The kids were once again asleep. Luke was already back, and as expected, he wasn't happy.

"Jane, what the hell were you thinking?" Luke inquired.

"What do you mean?" Jane asked, keeping an emotionless look.

"What'd you leave the kids?!" Luke demanded.

The woman shrugged. "I needed some air."

"Something bad could've happened!" Luke snapped at her.

"Well, it didn't." Jane said.

Luke shot her a look before glancing over to Clementine. "Did you give her something?"

"What?"

"Did you give Clementine something?" Luke asked again.

"I gave her, her medicine. Like you told me to. Why?" Jane asked.

"Because she was completely out of it when I got back!" Luke snapped.

"You said yourself she wasn't feeling well. That's probably why." Jane simply said.

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I just went for a walk, Luke. It's no big deal." Jane said.

"It IS a big deal! You left the children alone!" Luke exclaimed.

"They're fine, aren't they?"

"You don't act like you even care!" Luke snapped.

Jane was irritated now. "Of course I care about them! But you're overreacting! They're fine. I wasn't even gone that long!"

"I got back two hours ago, Jane! At least Clem fed them on her own, but did you even give Clem breakfast?" Luke asked.

Jane sighed at that. "...I forgot."

"You can't forget that, Jane!"

"Sorry… I'll remember next time." Jane said.

Luke shook his head in disapproval.

"I'll look after them tonight. We can clean them up and then you can get some rest…." Jane said.

Luke was hesitant to agree, but he knew he needed some rest. "Fine…"

* * *

After finally settling back into town Christa and Kenny explained their plan to search for Wellington.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Wyatt asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Christa questioned back.

"It's getting really cold. Carlos was saying we might have a storm on the way." Bonnie said.

"That's more reason to look for them now." Kenny said.

"Kenny, you can't go out there… Not if it's going to storm." Sarita said.

"We'll be fine, Sarita." Kenny replied.

"You won't be if you get stuck in a blizzard. Plus, you two have been on the road for over days, you should rest." Carlos said.

"How can we rest when the kids are out there?" Kenny asked.

"You're not any help to them if you're fatigued." Carlos replied.

"If you think they would go to Wellington or wherever, I'll help you look. But I agree with Carlos, you guys should get some rest." Vince said.

"Maybe you're right…" Christa said. "We do gotta to get some rest…"

"What? But what about Clem?" Kenny asked.

"They're not gonna get any further than they are now." Christa said. "And if they're really in Wellington, we might be on the road for a while trying to find them. We'll head out tomorrow."

Kenny sighed. "Fine…"

"Kenny, I don't think you two should go out there…"

"We don't have a choice, Sarita. We gotta find those kids." Kenny said.

Sarita frowned. She was worried about Clementine and the twins as well, but she didn't want Kenny and Christa getting stuck out there. "…At least take me with you…."

Kenny quickly shook his head. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Sarita asked.

"I can't risk you getting hurt… And I need you to stay here and look after Alvie." Kenny said.

"But Kenny-"

Kenny quickly cut her off. "Please, Sarita, for me."

Sarita let out a sigh. "...Okay…"

Kenny took her hand and said, "Thank you."

* * *

As promised, Jane stayed up making sure the fire stayed lit and looking after the children. By morning Jane was exhausted. Still, she made some breakfast and woke Clementine to eat. "Clem, I made you some food. But you gotta take your medicine."

The child groggily looked around.

"Come on, kid. Take your medicine, please. I don't want to do this again." Jane said.

Clementine didn't accept the medication.

Jane sighed. "For the last time, kid, take the medicine!"

"Jane, what's going on?" Luke entered the room, looking concerned.

"She won't take her medicine. I keep trying to get her to. She won't even look at me." Jane said.

"Yelling at her isn't gonna help." Luke replied.

"What's your big idea then? How are you gonna snap her out of her trance?" Jane inquired.

"Just… let me try talking to her." Luke said.

"Like talking would work." Jane scoffed.

Luke ignored her as he slowly approached the child. "Hey, kiddo. It's Luke…"

No response.

"You know you gotta take your medicine. It keeps you from getting sick." Luke told her.

"She's not gonna listen." Jane said. "No point in trying to talk to her."

"Clem, please…" Luke said. "Look at me, kid…"

"If she's ignoring us already, just think how bad it will be when she's actually a teenager." Jane scoffed.

"I don't think she's ignoring us. I think she's just zoned out." Luke said.

"She looks it." Jane huffed. "It's crazy. She just blocks everything out, and it's like she's not even there."

"I don't blame her. She probably wants to escape reality for a while." Luke said. "In a world like this, who wouldn't?"

"She can't keep shutting down like this." Jane said. "If something bad were to happen and she just ignores us…"

"Nothing bad is gonna happen. We'll be fine, just calm down. You freaking out on her is only gonna make things worse." Luke said.

"Well, when she's acting like this, what choice do I have? She needs to snap out of it!" Jane growled.

"I'm trying to snap her out of it!" Luke retorted.

"No. You're basically talking to a brick wall." Jane huffed and walked over to the girl. Shoving Luke aside she ceased the young girl by the shoulders and gave the child a harsh shake.

Clementine flinched.

"Jane, stop that!" Luke snapped yanking her away from the girl. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"It snapped her out of it, didn't it?" Jane simply replied.

Luke went to comfort the now whimpering girl, but upon touching her she quickly cowered back, as if she thought he might hit her. "It's okay, Clem… I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."

"Welcome back, kid. Do us a favor a take your medicine." Jane said.

"Just leave her alone, Jane. You've done enough." Luke said.

Jane shook him a look. "I've done nothing but helped her."

"Look at her! You can't treat her like this! She's just an innocent little girl." Luke spat.

Jane rolled her eyes. "She doesn't want the medicine, fine. But if she has a seizure, don't blame me."

"She needs the medicine. But that doesn't mean you can treat her like crap to get her to take it." Luke said.

"You're right. It's not worth the struggle of getting her to listen. I'm just gonna crush it up and put it in her food." Jane huffed, walking from the room.

Luke sighed and took a seat beside the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

* * *

Christa and Kenny did their best to rest up, with plans to head out first thing in the morning. However, they woke up to a freezing rain. They decided to wait out the storm, knowing it wouldn't be safe to drive in it. As desperate as they were, they knew they still had to be smart.

The storm didn't die down, however, in fact it only got worse as the rain turned into snow.

After another day, the two refused to wait any longer, despite their group advising against them leaving. They packed supplies into a vehicle and with Vince's offer to help out, the three took off.

As the snow picked up it was harder to see the road. They started searching for shelter and eventually found a rest stop with several vehicles scattered along the lot.

"You sure we should stop here?" Vince asked.

"Can barely see the road." Kenny said. "We gotta stop."

"Alright… Let's at least check if anyone's here. I'd rather be sure this place is safe." Christa said.

Kenny gave a nod. He checked the ammunition in his gun.

They then grabbed their supplies and headed towards the rest stop., killing any nearby walkers.

Fortunately, the cold weather had slowed the walkers down significantly.

The trio managed to get into the building. Upon checking the building, they noticed a couple broken windows. They knew it wouldn't be the best shelter, but at least they could stay until the snowfall eased up. And it was safe, that's what mattered.

* * *

At first Luke had thought things would work out fine. With days filled with tending to the children and helping Clementine with her physical therapy as they saw Carlos do, it seemed things were going well. Luke felt like the idea of being a family might actually work.

Taking care of the twins was by no means easy. At night the twins were often unsettled and whenever one falls asleep the other cries. The two would cry for hours each night. After a little bit of wear and tear the fairy tale life Luke had hoped for was turning into a nightmare. That fantasy of being a happy family was gone and reality was setting in.

Both Luke and Jane were exhausted. Feeling sleep depraved, Jane began nitpicking every little thing and she and Luke argued often. When she couldn't navigate a solution to the issues, her resolution was to take it out on the kids, snapping at the twins when they cried or Clementine for "ignoring" her.

Lack of sleep wasn't even the worse of their problems. The house was constantly freezing, even if the fireplace was going. It was so cold they could see their breath. They had to use many blankets to keep warm.

And with it now snowing, the nights were awful, it would be absolute frigid and by morning when the fire burned out the cold was downright unbearable.

Despite their efforts to keep the kids warm, the twins were showing symptoms of colds only a day after Clementine had come down with a fever.

Several times Luke mentioned going back to town, but Jane refused.

As the days continued, Luke had noticed Jane paying less attention to Clementine's needs, focusing mostly on the babies. However, whenever Crystal cried, she would hand the infant off to Luke. When Aleena cried it was different, Jane would coddle the baby until she calmed.

That night things were different. Aleena had a bad cough and fever. Luke was worried that the infant had developed croup as she was coughing continuously and struggling to breathe. Her skin was blazing. She was up all-night wailing. Toward morning she finally fell asleep, but Luke was worried.

"She's been coughing up a storm. I'm worried about her, Jane." Luke voiced his concern.

"It's just a cold. There's nothing to worry about." Jane said.

Luke shook his head. "She can barely breath. I am worried. Even if it is just a cold, the twins are so tiny, their gonna have a hard time fighting a cold."

"We got medicine. They'll be okay." Jane said.

"We need a doctor... Just in case anything goes wrong." Luke said.

"No. We don't. You're overreacting." Jane said.

"Aleena. Can't. Breathe." Luke stressed.

"She's okay."

"She's not!" Luke said.

"Jamie's fine, Luke! Just stop!" Jane yelled.

"Jamie?"

"I... I mean Aleena." Jane said.

"Jane, listen… these kids need a doctor." Luke said. "If she has croup, Crystal could easily catch it too."

"We have medicine. They'll be alright." Jane said.

"Jane, they're not alright!" Luke said. He took a deep breath. "Let's just… try to get some rest. We'll figure things out in the morning."

Jane sighed but nodded.

* * *

It was still late into the night when Clementine suddenly woke up from a nightmare, panicked and screaming.

Her scream quickly woke the entire house and the twins began wailing.

Luke eventually managed to calm the young girl down. And then went to tend to the twins.

Clementine was sitting on the bed trembling. The child was drenched in sweat.

"Jane…" Luke called.

"What?" The woman asked.

"I… I need your help." Luke said. "Clem needs to be cleaned up."

"Well then, go clean her up." Jane said.

"Hold on. Me? C-Can't…. Can't you do it?" Luke practically begged.

"I'll get the twins back to bed, and you go give Clem a bath. It's not a big deal." Jane said.

"It is to me." Luke said.

"That's because you're making it one." Jane said. "She's a kid, Luke. Just clean her up and get her back in bed."

Luke was still hesitant. He felt uncomfortable whenever Clementine even nursed the twins around him. He didn't want to bathe her. "Are you sure you can't do it?"

"Just go. I got the twins." Jane said.

Luke sighed but gave in. "Alright… Fine." He slowly approached Clementine. "C-Come on, kid… We're gonna get you cleaned up…"

He picked the child up and brought her to the bathroom. The second he had stripped Clementine from her clothes the child started kicking.

"Clem, please! I'm not gonna hurt you." Luke said. "It's just me. It's Luke."

The child continued fighting and it took several minutes for Luke to finally calm her down. "It's okay… It's okay… I'm just gonna clean you up."

* * *

After a bit of rocking Crystal had fallen asleep, but Aleena was restless.

Jane kept trying to calm the crying baby. She had thought she would be easier to calm down than Crystal, but she was being proved wrong. The woman's frustration was building.

Jane tried rocking the baby. It didn't work. She shushed her, but Aleena still cried. Jane placed the infant down on the mattress, hoping she would just tire herself out with all the crying, but the child's wails only grew louder.

Finally, she tried another tactic…

She placed her hand over the infant's mouth. The child's cries became muffled. Jane didn't move her hand until the baby suddenly went limp. Jane slowly pulled her hand back and her eyes widened. The baby was no long quiet, nor was she breathing.

Jane quickly panicked and started doing CPR. "LUKE! LUKE, GET IN HERE!"

* * *

Clementine had become much calmer as Luke started gently washing her. Once he finished he helped to dry the child off and dress her.

Seeing how Clementine could barely dress herself, made him once again second guess his decision about leaving town.

"Alright, kiddo… Let's get you-"

Luke was interrupted by Jane's sudden yell. "LUKE! LUKE, GET IN HERE!"

Luke's eyes widened. He quickly picked Clementine up and rushed back to the living room, "What's wrong?"

"The baby stopped breathing!" Jane yelled.

"W-What?!" He placed Clementine down and rushed over to Jane. "What the hell happened?"

"She... she just stopped breathing!" Jane lied.

Luke took over the CPR. The baby was limp as a ragdoll, but she still had a pulse. It took many compressions and rescue breaths before the tiny infant once again began squirming and crying.

Clementine forced herself to her feet, reaching for her daughter. Luke passed the baby over to Clementine, helping the child take a seat back on the bed.

Clementine hugged her daughter close and shot Jane a distrusting look, wondering what that woman had done to her baby.

* * *

Luke stayed up all night keeping an eye on the kids. He didn't know what to think, Jane had claimed that Aleena had just stopped breathing in her crib.

They couldn't stay there any longer. They needed to get the kids back to town.

That morning he began packing up supplies.

"Luke, what are you doing?" Jane asked.

"We gotta go." Luke simply said.

"Go where?"

"Back to town. The kids need a doctor." Luke said. "We're leaving this place."

Jane frowned. "Luke we can't just take them out there. Not while it's snowing."

"Waiting here won't help anything." Luke said.

"You're putting them at risk." Jane protested.

"They're already at risk here, Jane." Luke said. "One of the children stopped breathing last night."

"I'm aware. But she's okay now." Jane said.

"She could've died! They need a doctor, Jane!" Luke snapped. It was like he wasn't getting through to her.

"So you're really gonna take them back to that dysfunctional group?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." Luke said. "Being away from the group hasn't done anything positive for them anyway."

"Don't be stupid, Luke." Jane said.

"I'm doing what's right for these kids! We're going back with or without you, Jane." Luke told her.

Jane crossed her arms. "You'd seriously be willing to leave me behind?"

"If I have to… I don't want to leave you, Jane, but these kids come first." Luke said.

"I can't believe this."

"If you wanna help the kids, then come back to town. Things aren't as simple as we hoped. We can't do this on our own. Clementine and the twins are in desperate need of medical attention. We need to go back." Luke said to her.

Jane was silent for a while before sighing. "Maybe…. We should wait until the snow stops."

Luke disagreed. "We can't wait, Jane. We need to go now."

"…Fine…. Just… bring the drawer the twins sleep in." Jane said.

"Why?"

"They can sleep in it in the car." Jane replied.

Luke furrowed his brows. "That doesn't seem too safe."

"There's a lot of stuff that isn't safe. It's easier this way than having to hold them the whole ride." Jane said. "I'll sit in the backseat and make sure they're okay."

"…Alright…" Luke said. "Let's finish packing, then we'll go."

Jane gave a nod.

* * *

Luke had been driving for about an hour. Jane sat in the back seat beside the twins, while Clementine was buckled in the front seat.

Snow blew wildly in front of the windshield, Luke stopped the vehicle just short of hitting a walker. The creature didn't move if it noticed. Luke figured the cold was affecting it.

"Shit..." Luke sighed.

"That was close." Jane said.

"Yeah..." Luke agreed. "Maybe we should stop here..."

Jane looked around and shook her head. "That's a bad idea."

"We're not gonna get much farther." Luke said.

"Do you not see the "lurkers"?" Jane scoffed.

"I can handle them." Luke said. "Just keep an eye on the kids. I'm gonna check this place out..."

"Fine. Hurry back." Jane said.

"I will." Luke got out the vehicle and killed the walker before heading toward the rest stop.

Jane shook her head as she watched his slow progress towards the rest stop. She waited until he was out of sight. With him gone she leaned back and sighed.

When she heard Clementine stir in the back seat, she spoke, "Hey Clem… How are you doing?"

The child didn't say a word.

"Do you want to go back to town?" Jane asked the young girl.

The girl remained quiet.

"…I know you don't." Jane sighed. "You don't even want to be here, do you? You're just like Jamie…. You've given up. I can tell… And who are we to force you to live…"

The girl didn't give a response, not even a twitch.

Silence filled the vehicle for a moment before Jane spoke once again, "… I'll give you want you want." The woman opened the door and exited the car. She took the twins makeshift crib out and placed it on a bench. She tucked them into their blanket to keep them warm then started looking around the area, until she spotted a brick which she picked up. After doing so, she walked back to the car. She shut the back door before walking to the driver's door. She opened it and turned the keys in the ignition. She placed a brick on the gas pedal and put the vehicle in drive.

She turned away as it began rolling forward. She walked back to the twins and gently picked up baby Aleena, without another word she started to walk away. Giving a flinch as she heard a sudden crash.

* * *

When snow had started blowing into the windows, Kenny, Christa, and Vince had found a couple tarps which they managed to pin against them. They had been at the rest stop for over a day, hoping for the snow to let up.

The place seemed deserted and so quiet.

They wondered when the last time was that living people had been there. They sat silently, it was too cold, and they were too worried about the kids to talk. Every conversation just led back to their concern about the children.

The trio didn't notice a person walking outside around the building. They had no idea anyone was there until the door suddenly opened. Kenny acted fast, turning his gun to the person's direction.

However, the three were shocked at who they saw.

"Luke?" Christa asked.

"Christa? Kenny? Vince?" Luke gasped.

"Give me one reason not to fucking shoot you!" Kenny snapped.

"Kenny, hold on!" Vince said.

"Stay the hell out of this!" Kenny spat.

"W-Wait!" Luke pleaded.

"Where the hell are the kids?" Christa inquired.

"Th-They're fine. Just… Just calm down. Don't shoot!" Luke said.

"Where the fuck are they?!" Kenny demanded.

"With Jane!" Luke exclaimed.

"Jane?! You left them with her?" Kenny snapped.

"Just so I could check this place out. We-"

Luke was cut off when they heard what sounded like a car crash.

"W-What the fuck was that?" Vince asked.

The four of them looked horrified as the quickly rushed outside to the scene. They could hear Crystal wailing. Christa quickly spotted the draw on the bench and rushed over pick Crystal up. "Where Aleena?"

"I don't know, Jane must-"

He didn't get another word out before Kenny rushed off, searching for Jane.

Luke stopped as he noticed the vehicle he had driven had collided with another, that must've been the crash they heard. "Shit!"

"What?!" Christa asked.

"I think Clementine's in there!" Luke said.

"Get her out!" Christa ordered.

Luke and Vince rushed forward, killing walkers that were by the vehicle. Luke managed to get the passenger door open and pull the small child out the vehicle. The girl was crying. Her little hand kept switching between clutching at her arm and clutching her head in pain.

"I got you, kiddo. I got you." Luke said. "You okay."

The child continued whimpering, and Luke noticed blood on her palm as she pulled her hand from her head.

"Shit... It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

"W-Who...?" Clementine stammered through her whimpers. Her little voice is so quiet, Luke barely hear her. "W-Who are you?"

A look of utter shock struck Luke as the child slumps against him.

Within moments, the girl drifts out of consciousness.


	31. Chapter 31

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone for reading. There's probably one or two chapters left of Unravel. I greatly appreciate all your support.**_

* * *

Luke stood in shock for a few seconds with Clementine's unconscious form in his arms. He didn't even notice the walker creeping towards him until Vince called out, "Watch out!"

Fortunately, the other man put a knife through the creature's head before it could do any damage.

"Is she okay?!" Christa asked. Crystal was still crying in her arms.

"I... She's bleeding!" Luke said. "She's unconscious."

"Shit! We gotta do something?" Christa said.

"Where's Kenny?" Vince asked.

"He must've went after Jane." Christa said. "We gotta focus on Clem."

"What about Aleena?" Vince asked.

"Kenny will get her." Christa said. "Let's get them into the rest stop."

Vince seemed tore on whether or not to go with them.

"Come on. We need to get Crystal out of the cold and stop Clem's bleeding." Christa said.

Luke gave a nod. They quickly made their way to the rest stop.

Once they got inside Vince quickly grabbed one of the bags with medical supplies. Christa ordered Luke to lay Clementine down and take the baby.

Luke did as she told. Vince brought over a first aid kit and Christa opened it up.

The woman examined the severity of Clementine's wound. The child was bleeding badly. Christa quickly cleaned the girl's wound and pressed a bandage against it until the blood flow slowed.

"Kenny might need help…" Vince said.

Christa didn't respond. She was too focused on Clementine.

"I'm going to find them." Vince informed.

"Vince, wait!" Luke said.

"I gotta make sure the baby's okay!" Without another word, Vince rushed outside.

"Vince!" Luke called, but his words went unheard.

* * *

Kenny felt anger course through him as he ran. He wanted nothing more than to direct it all at Jane. When he found her, he was sure he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing her if she didn't hand the baby over.

He had never been the type to hit a woman. Sure, he would buttheads with them and get into various arguments, but things never got violent. But Jane was an exception. He couldn't consider her a woman. She was a monster.

Kenny couldn't stand her. She needed to pay for what she did.

He continued running forward, yelling Jane's name. He didn't care if the walkers or anyone else heard. All he cared about was finding Jane.

* * *

Jane clutched Aleena tightly in her arms, doing her best to shield the infant from the cold. As she ran she heard an unmistakable voice call to her. She quickly recognized it as Kenny's voice and her face paled. How had they found them?

Aleena started whimpering and before long began crying.

Jane tried to quiet her down and search for some place to hide. The baby's wails didn't stop.

Jane knew there would be no point in hiding if Aleena's cries would just blow her cover. She had to some something, she couldn't just let Kenny take the baby _. Her baby._

She continued running until she spotted a nearby vehicle. She approached the car and pulled at the back door, which was unlocked. She opened the door and sighed as she gently placed Aleena in the backseat.

Aleena's cries continued.

"Shh… It's okay, baby. _Mommy_ will be right back." Jane said. She just had to handle Kenny first.

Jane shut the door, muffling Aleena's cries. She started to walk away, however she didn't get too far before she heard Kenny's voice closer.

Jane slowed her pace as she heard him behind her, she grabbed at her gun and flung around to aim it at him.

Kenny's face contorted with fury as he saw her. He was literally shaking with anger. "You're out of your fucking mind?!"

"Take a look at yourself, Kenny!" Jane said.

"You snatched three little kids from a town where we were protecting them, you crazy fuck!" Kenny snapped.

"Protecting?! You people can't even protect yourselves!" Jane snapped. "They're safer with me!"

"You left Crystal in the damn cold!" Kenny hissed before looking around. "Where the fuck are Clem and Aleena?"

"You people didn't know how to deal with them. I did you a favor." Jane said.

"You fucking kidnapped them! You better not have hurt them!" Kenny growled.

"Kidnapped? Is that what you call it? I saved them! Clementine never got the attention she needed. Everyone was too overwhelmed and tired. Too incapable." Jane said.

"You're fucking sick! Just tell me where the kids are." Kenny ordered.

Jane didn't respond for a moment. "…I gave Clem what she wanted…"

Kenny furrowed his brows. "What?"

"She didn't want to be here. I let her go. Like I did for my sister." Jane said.

Kenny's good eye widened at that. He remembered the car crash he had heard. "YOU'RE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!

Jane cocked the gun. "I'm the one with the gun. I'm not like you people. I wasn't going to force her to keep living…"

"You crazy fucking bitch!" Kenny exclaimed.

Instantly, her face became a cold mask. "Me? Look at you. You're a fucking time bomb. I'm glad I took the kids away from that mess."

Kenny felt his heart clench as he wondered if Clementine was okay. He hoped that little girl was still alive, and Jane was lying. "Where's Aleena?"

"Who?" Jane asked.

"The baby! Where the fuck is she?" Kenny inquired.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kenny." Jane said. "Just stay the hell away. I'll pull the trigger if I have to."

"I'll fucking kill you before you get the chance." Kenny glared at the woman.

Jane returned the glare as she started to move her finger to the trigger.

Noticing what she was doing, Kenny dashed forward, grabbing at the gun. The two struggled for the weapon and it went off, however neither of them were hit. As they continued to struggle, they both lost grip of the gun and it fell to the ground.

Jane took some steps back. "Stay away from me, asshole."

"I'm not playing your fucking games! Where the fuck is the baby?!" Kenny asked.

"You really wanted to know?!" Jane shot back.

"What the hell do you think?!" Kenny really just wanted to shoot her right then and there.

"She…" Jane trailed off.

"What? What are you saying?" Kenny asked.

Jane just kept quiet.

"No… No…" Kenny felt his blood boil.

Jane quickly brought a hand to her knife, pulling it from the sheath strapped to her calf as she watched his expression change into one of sheer anger. "Stay back."

"How could you kill FUCKING CHILDREN?!" Kenny ignore her, as he moved forward and threw punch in her direction.

Jane quickly flinched back, avoiding the hit. "I did what I had to!" Jane snapped. "I won't back down from you, Kenny!"

"SHUT UP!" Kenny growled.

Jane held the knife in a threatening manner, eyes flashing toward the gun on the ground. "Don't you come near me, you son of a bitch."

Kenny watched her gaze drift to the gun and took the chance the attack. He grabbed at the woman's throat, choking her.

Jane struggled to free herself, and eventually managed to do so as she stabbed the knife into his shoulder.

Kenny yelled out in pain and she shoved him to the ground. His hat fell from his head and his bandage came loose as Jane proceeded to punch him. Kenny shielded his face from the blows. Jane was specifically targeting his already injured eye.

Kenny quickly threw a hit of his own, knocking her off him. He scrambled to his feet ready to attack her, but Jane quickly raised her knife and sliced him across the stomach.

Kenny stumbled back, bringing a hand to his bleeding stomach. He was sure either he was going to die here, or she was. And he didn't plan on dying anytime soon. She had to pay for what she did to those kids.

"Just go." Jane breathed.

"I ain't going nowhere." Kenny growled.

"Fuckin'… psycho." Jane said.

"THIS IS ON YOU!" Kenny yelled.

Kenny took a step to her, but Jane start slashing the knife in his direction.

He managed to avoid her, but she came at him again, slashing from side to side.

Kenny grabbed at her and tossed her to the ground, falling along with her. As he spotted the knife he tried to grab it.

Jane took advantage of his distracted moment and lunged toward him. She started digging her fingers into his eye.

Kenny screamed and tried to get free. He slapped her, but she kept at it. Kenny managed to catch one of her figures between his teeth and bit down until he met bone, causing her to let go. He quickly reached for the knife and stabbed her in the leg, making her yell out.

He moved to stab her again. Jane quickly kicked at his hand with her uninjured leg knocking the knife away.

She started to get to her feet, but Kenny grabbed her leg, yanking her back to the ground.

Jane started kicking him, managing to land a hit in his bleeding stomach.

Kenny groaned.

Jane struggled to her feet. Once she was up she delivered a hard kick to Kenny's crotch in order to buy her more time. She started limping to the knife. "Get ready to die, asshole."

Kenny hissed in pain as he forced himself up just as Jane grabbed the knife. He forced himself into sitting position, barely having enough time to react before Jane came at him again, knife ready to stab him. He grabbed her wrist, the knife inches away from his eye. Kenny kept a tight grip on her wrist. He clamped his hand so tightly around her wrist that the knife fell from her grip. Kenny gave her a powerful shove, sending her to the ground.

She fell, knocking the air out of her lungs. Jane clutched at her bleeding leg.

Kenny quickly grabbed the knife. He quickly pinned Jane to the ground and held the knife over her chest. "I'll fuckin' kill you!" Kenny gritted out.

"I… I knew you would!" Jane spat.

The two were so caught in their fight, that they didn't hear Vince's calls, or simply ignored them.

"Just...fuckin'... die!" Kenny hissed.

"Fuck you!...Crazy... fuck!" Jane managed to grit out.

Jane tried to get free, but Kenny refused to let that happen. Despite her struggled, he managed to force the knife into her chest.

Jane's eyes widened. She feebly tried to grab for the blade, letting out a final gasp before going limp.

Kenny withdrew the knife then stabbed again. He stabbed her multiple times through his rage.

Blood gushed from Jane's many wounds as she tried to struggle free.

Kenny didn't stop. He stabbed her for Clementine. Stabbed her for the twins. Stabbed her for all the times she talked shit about his family. For all the times she tried to convince Clementine to kill herself.

He couldn't stop... He felt like he had to be sure this woman wound never hurt anyone again. His arm had a life of its own.

He didn't hear Vince gasp in horror, or notice the man approach him.

It wasn't until he felt someone grab his shoulder and pull the knife from his hand that he even realized what he had done.

He looked down at Jane's lifeless body.

"It's over, Kenny! She's dead!" Vince said.

Kenny fell to the ground, the knife dropping from his blood covered hands.

Vince frowned as he looked at Jane's body. She had probably been stabbed at least twenty times. It was definitely over-kill, but Vince couldn't blame him. "Where's Aleena?"

Kenny shook his head. "I… I was too late…"'

"W-What?" Vince stammered.

"She's-" Kenny stopped as he suddenly heard a noise. Crying…

Vince quickly looked around before rushing to the source of the cry.

Kenny slowly got to his feet, picking up his head he placed it back on then went to catch up with Vince.

Vince was surprised when he opened a car door and found Aleena wailing and coughing in the backseat. The child was cold, despite the blanket around her. "It's okay… It's okay…" He picked her up.

"Holy shit! Is… Is she okay?" Kenny asked.

"She's freezing…" Vince said. "We need to get back to the others."

"I… Let me hold her." Kenny said.

Vince seemed hesitant to do so.

Kenny noticed and shot him a look. "I ain't gonna hurt her! Give her here."

Vince sighed and handed the baby over.

Kenny rocked the infant. "It's gonna be alright, darlin'… I got you…"

Vince was surprised when he noticed some tears in Kenny's eyes. "Kenny?"

Kenny didn't respond as he gently continued to rock Aleena.

"W-What is it?" Vince asked.

Kenny shook his head. "Jane… She said she killed Clem…"

"What?"

"Jane... told me … she let her go." Kenny said.

Vince's eyes widened. Jane really had been trying to kill that poor little girl. "Clem's okay… She's hurt her head, but she's alive. You know that kid's a fighter."

"She's okay?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. She's fine. She's unconscious, but she's alive." Vince told him.

"I… I gotta see her." Kenny said.

"We will. Christa's patching her up. And from the looks up it, you could use some patching up yourself. You're hurt pretty bad…" Vince said.

"Don't worry about me… Worry about the kids." Kenny slowly handed Aleena back.

Vince took the infant, who's cries had died down. "Let's just go." Vince said.

* * *

Luke tried to ignore the tightening knots in his stomach and keep his composer. He was so worried right now, he felt like his heart would explode.

Christa gently cleaned and bandaged Clementine's head. She also wiped away all the blood from the child's face.

"How is she?" Luke asked looking nervous.

"She's got a fever… Did you know that?" Christa asked as she gently felt Clementine's forehead.

"The twins too… We had a bit of medicine for them." Luke said.

"This is why you shouldn't have taken them… And in the winter too…" Christa shook her head.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Luke asked.

"…I think she'll be fine… She just needs rest…" Christa said. "How's Crystal…?"

Luke looked down at the whimpering baby in his arms. "She's cold…" Luke said. "Probably hungry too."

"You left the formula. Did you realize that when you took them?"

"…Yeah." Luke said. "Clem's been nursing them."

Christa sent him a look. "Well, Clem can't feed her right now, unfortunately." Christa said.

"I know…."

Christa sighed and tucked Clementine into a sleeping bag, letting the child rest. "Grab my bag. I packed some formula… The one Crystal can actually have…"

Luke nodded and went to do so.

"Give me Crystal, I'll hold her while you make her bottle." Christa said.

Luke didn't protest as he handed the infant over. Christa rocked the baby.

The two sat in silence while Luke proceeded to make the bottle. Besides Crystal's little whimpers here and there, not a sound was heard.

Once Luke finished making the bottle, he handed it to Christa who started feeding the baby.

"…What the hell were you thinking?" Christa suddenly asked.

Luke was surprised by her harsh tone. "What?"

"Why would you take the kids?" Christa asked.

"I… I thought it'd be better for them." Luke admitted.

"After all the shit Jane did?" Christa asked. "You kidnapped her. You kidnapped Clementine and the twins."

"I didn't kidnap them." Luke said.

"When you put them in that car, you kidnapped them." Christa said. "You could've gotten them killed!"

"I just wanted to do something right. To protect the people who mattered to me. Clementine and the twins. They're all I have left." Luke said. "I made a mistake. But I would never harm a hair on any of their heads."

"Why didn't you talk to me? I offered you to come with me if we ever left town!" Christa said.

"After that knife incident... After you told me to stay away... I didn't think that offer still stood." Luke said. "You weren't letting anyone see those kids."

"For their own safety." Christa said. "Because that bitch you decided to steal the kids with tried to kill Clem."

"She-"

Christa stopped him. "She gave her a knife, knowing Clementine was cutting herself. Jane didn't give a damn about those kids."

"Well I care… I would never let anything bad happen." Luke said.

"Look around you, Luke! Look what you _made_ happen." Christa said. "I didn't want people around them before and I sure as hell don't want you around them now."

"The twins could be mine! I have the right to be around them." Luke said.

"Just because that sick piece of shit made you two have sex, doesn't mean you get to rule over Clem or her kids! I'm looking after her, not you!" Christa spat.

"My group took her in. We took care of her." Luke argued.

"And she ended up pregnant with twins. That poor kid is completely traumatized." Christa said.

"That… That wasn't our fault." Luke stated.

"That guy was after your people, she just got dragged into it." Christa said. "She's doesn't deserve to keep getting hurt… She's just a little girl."

"I didn't want any of this to happen, Christa…" Luke said. "I never thought it would."

"Then why would you go with Jane? You know how much Clementine means to me. Why would you rip her away from me? She's the only one I have left." Christa asked.

"Christa... That wasn't my intention." Luke told her.

"Then explain your intentions." Christa urged.

"Clem was stressed out… I just wanted to get her away from that." Luke said.

"You're equally responsible for what happened to her. You didn't help these kids. You hurt them." Christa said.

Luke frowned at that. "I didn't mean to. I-"

The two flinched when they heard a distant gunshot.

"Fuck…. I should check that out." Luke said.

"No… You can't take the baby out there." Christa said.

"Aleena's out there!" Luke pointed out. "I need to make sure she's okay."

"Kenny and Vince will bring her back." Christa said.

"What about Jane?" Luke asked.

Christa didn't respond.

"Christa…"

"I don't give a damn what happens to Jane! Look what she did to my girl!" Christa snapped.

Crystal whimpered from the sudden yell.

Luke frowned at that.

Christa lowered her voice. "Whatever happens to Jane, is her own fault…"

Luke didn't know what to say.

Christa continued feeding Crystal. "I need you to get a fire going. We need to get the baby near it."

Luke gave a nod in response and went to the fireplace to start a fire.

* * *

Kenny and Vince started walking back to the rest stop. Vince kept Aleena tucked into her blanket, shielding her the best he could from the snow.

When they got to the rest stop and opened the door Christa quickly whipped around and aimed her gun, while keeping the now sleeping Crystal in her arms.

"It's just us." Vince said.

"Thank God you found her." Christa said. "Get her by the fire."

"She's been coughing a lot." Vince told her.

"I'll check her out in a bit… I might have some cough medicine for her." Christa said.

Vince nodded and moved to get the baby by the fire.

Luke noticed the blood all over Kenny's clothes and skin and his eyes grew wide. "Wh-Where's Jane."

"She ain't coming back." Kenny muttered.

"What did you do?" Luke asked looking shocked. He already knew the answer to his own question.

"The same shit I'll do to you if you get too close to these kids again." Kenny threatened.

"You're threatening me…?" Luke asked.

"Really observant, aren't you?" Kenny said. "Threats are for cowards. I'm making a promise."

"Kenny, stop. We don't need this right now." Christa said.

"So he's just getting off free for what he did." Kenny asked.

"That's not it. There's a lot going on. Let's focus on the kids…" Christa said.

"Fine…" Kenny muttered.

"I should take care of your injuries too." Christa said.

"Don't worry about me." Kenny said.

"I don't want you to bleed to death. The last thing we need is a walker to worry about." Christa said.

Kenny sighed but nodded.

"Vince, take Crystal." Christa said.

Luke started to speak up. "I can-"

"Don't even think about it." Kenny said.

"Vince already has Aleena, let me." Luke said.

"Luke back off." Kenny said. "I'm warning you."

Luke refused. "Kenny, you can't keep me from the kids."

"Watch me." Kenny said.

"I… I did nothing wrong." Luke said.

"You nearly got all three of them killed, asshole!" Kenny exclaimed.

The twins whimpered from the noise and Vince and Christa quickly calmed them.

"That's not true." Luke said.

"Luke, just stop." Vince said.

"Me? What did I do?" Luke asked.

"Do you not realized how worried we were when we just found three kids missing in the middle of the night. You betrayed your own group." Vince said.

"I didn't betray anybody, Vince." Luke said.

"Everyone just shut up!" Christa snapped. "I don't want to hear you fight like a group of kids. The kids are my main concern, so if you guys want to bicker, take it outside."

The three men fell quiet.

"Thank you." Christa huffed. "Vince, take the baby."

Vince silently came over and took Crystal as well while Christa stood and got some supplies to treat Kenny's wounds.

* * *

Sarita was sitting on the couch, AJ was crawling around, playing with a couple block.

"You okay, Sarah?" Sarita gently called to the teen as she stared out the window.

"…It's bad out there…" Sarah muttered, not looking from the window. "Do you think they'll come back soon?"

"I… I think so." Sarita said.

"Really? I don't want you to lie to me." Sarah said.

"I'd never lie to you, sweetie." Sarita assured her.

Sarah fell quiet.

"Wanna help me with the baby?" Sarita asked.

Sarah looked to AJ but seemed hesitant. "I don't know… He keeps crying when I hold him."

"That's not your fault. He's just been fussy lately." Sarita said.

"…Probably because he misses Clem." Sarah frowned.

"Yeah. I'm sure he does…" Sarita said.

"I hope they're okay…" Sarah said.

Sarita nodded. "I hope so too, Sarah."

* * *

"How's Clem?" Kenny asked as Christa bandaged his wounds.

"She has a head injury… Probably a concussion… Won't know how bad it is until she wakes up…" Christa said.

"She… asked who I was." Luke said.

"What?" Christa asked.

"She seemed confused… Like she didn't remember me." Luke said.

"She was just in an accident. She probably was confused…" Christa sighed.

"Poor kid…" Vince muttered.

"So… Jane didn't make it, right?" Christa asked.

"Made sure of that…" Kenny muttered.

"What happened?" Christa asked.

"She told me Clementine was dead. And she hid Aleena in a car and let me think she was dead too." Kenny said. "That woman was nuts. She got what was coming to her."

"She didn't have to die. No one deserves that." Luke said.

"Jane was a vicious person. She was fucking nuts. She had her own agenda and didn't care about anyone but herself." Kenny huffed. "You need a real reality check. The world's shitty enough without shitting people around, fucking things up for the rest of us."

"Jane had issues. But who doesn't? She wasn't a bad person. She was just hurting. She lost everything." Luke said. "Her sister, our baby."

"We've all lost people!" Kenny snapped.

"Keep your voice down..." Christa said. "When I first met Jane, I didn't think she was a bad person... but then I got to know her. The things she did were unforgivable."

"So you think she deserved to die?" Luke asked.

"People die all the time. It's not a question of if they deserved it or not. That's just how life is." Christa said. "After what she did to Clem though, I'd say this is karma."

"Shit..." Kenny hissed in pain as she started to clean his eye.

"Sorry... Try to keep still." Christa said.

"Hurts like hell." Kenny muttered.

"Tough it out." Christa simply replied.

Kenny mumbled, wincing a bit. "Yeah, yeah… If a kid can have a baby, I can handle this…"

"Yeah…" Christa sighed.

Silence fell over the group for a while. Christa continued cleaning Kenny's eye then applied a fresh bandage to it.

"Thanks." Kenny said once she finished.

"No problem." Christa said.

A few more seconds of silence fell before Kenny spoke again, "Luke… I got something to say… As a parent…"

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"If you really love those kids-"

Luke interrupted. "I do love those kids."

"Luke! Listen to what I'm saying." Kenny said.

"I hear you," Luke huffed.

"If you love those kids they should come first. Not your personal life, not some woman, not anyone else." Kenny said.

"I know that." Luke said.

"Then act like it. You make a lot of mistakes when you have a kid… I made plenty with my son… I should've spent more time with him… Should've been there more…" Kenny said. "You claim to be a father, grow up and act like one. I'm not going to let you screw these kids' lives up."

"I don't want to screw anyone's life up… I just want to be there for them." Luke said.

"Right now… I don't know if I can let that happen… I can't trust you, Luke." Christa spoke up.

"What can I do to make you trust me again?" Luke asked.

"…It's going to take a long time to regain my trust…" Christa sighed.

"I'm sorry… I really am. But I would never hurt those kids…" Luke said. "I would give my life for them."

"I know you didn't want to hurt them… But you still put them in danger with your bad judgment." Christa said.

Luke sighed, he felt guilty about everything.

"…Where's Clem's bear?" Christa suddenly asked.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Promise, her stuffed bear." Christa said.

"Probably in the car." Luke muttered.

"Someone should go get him." Christa said.

"The car's wrecked." Luke said.

"And?" Christa asked.

"It's just a bear… Can't we find her another?" Luke asked.

"That bear means a lot to her. She needs it." Christa said.

"I'll get it." Kenny said.

"You should take it easy… You're injured." Vince spoke up.

"But she needs it." Kenny said.

"I got it. I can't just sit around here anyway…" Vince said.

Christa wiped her hands clean with a rag before going to take the twins. "Thank you, Vince."

"Don't mention it." Vince checked his gun and counted his bullets.

"Don't shoot that thing…" Kenny said.

"I won't, unless I have to…" Vince said.

"The walkers are barely moving right now." Kenny said.

"Walkers aren't a concern… People always are…" Vince replied.

The others just sighed.

"Back in a bit…" Vince headed to the door and stepped outside.

* * *

AJ had been fussy lately. Sarita was sure the little one-year-old was picking up on her anxiety and reacting to it. She felt bad that she wasn't able to calm him, but she couldn't even calm her own nerves. Despite her attempts to sooth AJ, his whimpers wouldn't stop.

Sarita flinched when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

Bonnie slowly opened the door and peeked in. "Need a hand?"

"I think he's just restless." Sarita said.

"Maybe he still wants to play?" Bonnie said.

"He was playing for a bit, but he seemed tired. Since he started crawling he's been getting into everything." Sarita said.

"I thought he'd be walking by now…" Bonnie said.

"He's only just turned a year old. Carlos said he'll probably start walking soon."

"I guess so." Bonnie said. "So…. How are you feeling?"

"Worried… They're still out there." Sarita said.

"They're probably on their way back by now." Bonnie said, sounding hopeful.

"That's the hope…" Sarita said.

"…Let me help with the baby. You haven't gotten much rest lately." Bonnie didn't miss Sarita's hesitation. "It'll be fine. I'll bring him back once he's asleep."

Sarita remained reluctant, but gave in. She handed the baby over. Kenny was always so hesitant to trust people with AJ that Sarita felt a bit nervous herself. "Thank you."

"Of course." Bonnie said before walking from the room.

* * *

When Vince returned he was covered in snow. He held Clementine's bear, brushing the snow off the toy before placing it beside the unconscious child. "That snow's really coming down…"

Christa and Kenny were both by the fireplace. Kenny was holding Crystal who was fast asleep, while Christa was giving Aleena a bottle.

"I can tell." Christa said. "You're practically a snowman."

"That car's done for. It ain't gonna move again." Vince told them.

"Damn…" Luke muttered.

Christa slowly placed Aleena's bottle down, Aleena wasn't eating much, and Christa was concerned that the baby's breathing was a bit labor. "I can tell Aleena isn't feeling well…" Christa sighed as she started to burp the baby.

"She's been sick for the past few days." Luke said. "Crystal hasn't been feeling well either, but Aleena's been having problems breath. I had to give her CPR one day."

"What?" Christa's eyes widened.

"Jane said… she stopped breathing." Luke said.

"That crazy piece of shit probably tried to kill her herself." Kenny said.

"But… Why would she?" Luke asked.

"Same reason she put a baby in a car and tried to kill Clem. She's nuts." Kenny said. "That's just another reason you shouldn't have taken them."

"…What are we gonna do?" Vince asked. "We can't stay here."

"You're right. We need to get a move on." Kenny said.

"Not now… We should wait out the snow." Christa said.

"We'll freeze to death here, Christa." Kenny replied.

"There's a fireplace here. We can at least keep the kids a bit warm. If we get trapped in that snow, it's not going to be good." Christa said.

"You think it'll be tough to travel in the snow?" Luke asked.

"If we wait until it stops, we should be fine." Christa responded.

"I mean with the snow on the ground." Luke said.

"We'll be driving, so we should get back to town safely." Vince said.

"Well…. Maybe we could make a pitstop." Luke said.

"We don't have time to visit your dead girlfriend, we need to get the kids to town, where it's safe." Kenny grumbled.

"No… Just listen. We were staying at a house... There was a shitload of supplies in the basement... Maybe we could stock up for the group." Luke said.

Christa shook her head. "The kids can't be out in this weather."

"It's not far from the town." Luke said.

"And why the fuck should we listen to you?" Kenny asked.

"Because I was there. I'm telling you, there's a lot of supplies. This could help the group." Luke said.

"We should take the kids back home and then maybe we can send a group of to get the supplies." Christa said.

"They could be gone by then." Luke said.

"We're not taking a risk with the kids." Christa said.

"It won't take long. You just gotta trust me." Luke said.

"Trust you?!" Kenny scoffed. "After you kidnapped the kids?!"

"I didn't kidnap anyone!" Luke argued.

"Keep telling yourself that!" Kenny hissed. "This is your fucking fault. All of this! If those kids had died that blood would've been on your hands."

"They weren't gonna die! I wouldn't let that happen." Luke said.

"Look! Look what you did to Clementine!" Kenny yelled.

"Kenny, calm down!" Vince said.

"That wasn't me, Jane did that." Luke said.

"Because you gave her the opportunity!" Kenny spat.

Crystal had woken up and both she and Aleena started crying.

"Did you enjoy putting the kids in a car and letting them freeze their asses off?" Kenny asked. "You don't have a clue how to raise kids. Here's a lesson, you should want to give the kids a better life than you had."

"Well, thanks for the after-school special." Luke said sarcastically. "I don't need this."

"That's your problem! You don't listen to anyone. You cause problems and then expect everyone else to fix them." Kenny said. "You think the world revolves around you!"

"That's your opinion. And it's not true." Luke said.

"Really? You think that little girl wanted to leave the people who took care of her?" Kenny asked.

Luke kept quiet. Kenny slowly got up and handed Crystal to Christa.

"What are you doing?" Christa quickly asked. She could see this situation was getting worse and worse.

Kenny ignored her as he approached Luke. "You got nothing to say, Luke?"

"No. Because it's not worth the aggravation…" Luke said.

"You did this to yourself!" Kenny snapped.

"You don't understand." Luke said.

Kenny seized him by the collar. "No! You don't understand!"

"Kenny, enough! Let him go!" Vince said.

"Fuck that! After all the shit he did?!" Kenny gripped hard.

"Let go!" Luke said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Vince quickly rushed over and grabbed the older man, pulling him from Luke.

"I should've shot this fucking asshole!"

Luke flinched as he heard Kenny's words.

"Kenny, stop. You need to go somewhere to cool down before you do something stupid."

Vince tightened his grip on Kenny, trying to tug him out. Kenny however didn't fight.

Kenny's voice cracked as he said, "Look what you did to her! Look what you did to Lee's girl!"

Luke felt his heart clench. "I… I didn't-"

"Why's everybody yelling?" Clementine's little voice suddenly asked.

The group was shocked to see her awake.

"Nobody's yelling... It's okay." Christa said.

"I was tired… I can't sleep when everybody's yelling." Clementine said.

"We're just having a discussion. The yelling's all done, sweetie..." Christa said, giving the men a warning glare. "How are you feeling?"

"My… head hurts…. And my body aches." Clementine muttered. "We… We're not on the train anymore…"

The adults looked confused at her words.

"No, Clem. We're not." Christa said.

"Oh…." Clementine slowly sat up, feeling her head pound a bit as she did. The child looked around her. "You have babies! Can I hold them?"

"Maybe later, okay. You need to get some more rest." Christa said.

"Okay…." Clementine said. "Did you get the medicine for Omid?"

Christa frowned at that. She wasn't expecting to hear that. "I… Everything's okay. Just go back to sleep."

"Okay, Christa…." Clementine said.

"That's my girl." Christa said.

The others kept quiet, waiting until the young girl had drifted off to sleep.

After a while Luke spoke, "See what I mean. She doesn't remember-"

"She just needs to rest." Christa interrupted. "She's fine. She's just exhausted."

"Alright then…" Luke sighed.

"She'll be good when she wakes back up." Christa said.

"She better be..." Kenny muttered.

* * *

Clementine slept through the rest of the night. Eventually the others decided to try to rest too.

Christa, Kenny, and Vince would take turns looking after the children while the others slept. Luke felt awful, they wouldn't even let him near the kids.

It was now early morning. Kenny was resting on the ground, completely exhausted from his earlier fight and the blood loss. Christa was asleep with Aleena beside her, bundled in a blanket, while Vince was resting upright, his back against the wall and Crystal cradled in his lap.

Luke found himself unable to sleep at all. He sat in silence until he suddenly heard Clementine stir. He quickly turned to her as the child's eyes fluttered open.

"Clem," Luke stood and moved towards the girl.

Clementine let out a small gasp, quickly pulling the blanket that was covering her over her head as if to protect herself.

Luke frowned and tugged the blanket off the child's head. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Clem. It's okay…"

"Stop!" The child suddenly exclaimed. "Go away!"

Luke was stunned. "Clementine?"

"H-How do you k-know my name?" The child asked.

"What do you mean, kid. It's me, Luke. Remember?" Luke asked.

"Luke...?" Clementine repeated, looking confused.

Luke nodded. "That's right."

"I don't remember." Clementine said shaking her head. "Who are you?! What's going on?"

"W-What?"

"Who are you?" Clementine asked again.

"Clem, it's me. Luke..." Luke said.

"I don't remember you. W-Where's my hat? D-Did you take it?"

"Christa has it. Don't worry." Luke sighed.

Clementine took a few quick breaths. "I don't know you. W-Where am I? What h-happened?" The child sat up and tried to get to her feet, but it was hard.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Luke asked.

"I... I want to g-get up." Clementine said.

"Clem...That's not a good idea." Luke said.

"I want to…" The girl said.

"You're hurt. You can't." Luke said.

"I... I need to find my friends!" Clementine said. "I need to find Lee."

"Clem- Clementine, stop it." Luke quickly restrained the child, to keep her from standing up.

Clementine felt a sudden surge of panic rush through her. She suddenly felt terrified. "N-No. L-Let me go..."

"Clementine, it's okay. Calm down."

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"Clementine, please..."

"Stop! I don't know who you are! Just leave me alone!"

The noise quickly woke the others.

Kenny groaned as he sat up, "What the hell is going on? "What are you doing to her?!"

"Nothing. She was trying to get up."

"Are you okay, Clem?" Kenny asked.

"No..." Clementine sniffled as Luke released her. "W-Where's Lee?"

"Lee?" Christa asked. "Clementine, are you okay?"

Clementine shook her head and whimper, "He won't leave me alone…"

"Luke, back off!" Kenny hissed.

"But… I didn't do anything."

"Just get the fuck away from her!"

"W-Where are we? Where's Lee?"

"Lee's not here, Clem… We're at a rest stop. We're going to head back to town and everything's going to be okay."

"What town?"

"You remember, your friends are there. Sarah and Becca. They'll be happy to see." Christa said.

"I don't know who they are…"

"Of course you do. You play with them all the time."

"I don't know them! I don't know you!" Clementine said.

Vince's eyes widened at that.

"I only played with Duck… And… And sometimes Ben. But Duck is gone… He's dead…" Clementine frowned.

Kenny frowned at the mention of his son. It was hard to think about his little boy...

"What do you mean, you don't know me?" Vince asked.

"I don't know you..." Clementine said again.

"What... What do you remember, Clem?" Vince asked.

"I remember the walkers... I remember Christa and Kenny!" Clementine motioned to the two. The young girl furrowed her brows as she looked at Kenny. "Kenny, you look different…"

"Yeah?" Kenny said.

"Uh-huh. You have a beard… And…" The child trailed off and suddenly gasped. "You… You have blood on you."

"Don't worry about that now, hon…" Kenny muttered.

"O-Okay…" Clementine said, averting her gaze.

"What else do you remember, Clem? Tell me." Christa said.

"We were running from the walkers and we found a mansion, but Omid was hurt..." The child's eyes widened. "We…We need to get medicine for Omid... And... And find a boat! We... We can look for my parents too, while we're here."

"Here, where?" Kenny asked.

"In Savannah." Clementine said.

Christa frowned. "Sweetie, we're not in Savannah.

"Of course we are. We took the train here..." Clementine said.

"We're far from Savannah, Clem." Kenny said.

Clementine clutched her head. "Wh-What's going on?"

"You were in an accident." Christa explained.

"What kind of accident?" Clementine asked.

"A car accident..." Christa said.

Clementine looked even more bewildered upon hearing that. "...Lee. I... I want him. Where is he?" Clementine dropped her gaze to her lap.

When no one answered the child slowly looked back up.

Christa looked away. "Clem... Lee's… gone."

"Gone where? He'll come back, right?" Clementine asked.

Christa frowned and shook her head.

Clementine's face fell, she felt tears in her eyes. "N-No… No. You're lying to me! You're lying." Panic rose within her threatening break her down into sobs.

"I'm sorry, Clem." Christa said.

Clementine quickly broke into tears.

Christa frowned, handing Aleena to Vince. She went over and began to comfort the crying child. She didn't know what they were going to do…

* * *

Clementine had been so hysterical that it took Christa at least thirty minutes to calm her down. The child was now playing with her stuffed bear, whimpering every now and then.

"You feel any better?" Christa asked the child.

"No…" Clementine responded.

Christa noticed the young girl slowly slip her thumb into her mouth. It was definitely a stress relieving habit, even when she didn't remember anything. "I know you're sad… And I know this is really hard, but I'm here… And I'll take care of you…"

"Why did he have to go? How did it happen?" Clementine asked.

"He… He got bit, sweetie." Christa said.

Clementine frowned and shook her head. "No he didn't! Lee would never get bit, he was tough. And… And he wasn't clumsy."

"He did, Clem…" Christa said.

"How?!" Clementine asked.

Christa kept quiet. She didn't want to tell the child he got bit saving her.

"See… I knew he didn't. You shouldn't say stuff like that. It's mean." Clementine said.

"Clem, it's the truth." Kenny said.

"No it's not! He's looking for me. He's going to find me." Clementine said. "I know he is."

Kenny and Christa both sighed at that but said nothing.

Clementine continued cuddling her stuffed bear. "I like this teddy bear… He's cute…"

"Well, he's all yours, kiddo." Vince said.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah. You actually found him." Vince told her.

"What's his name?" Clementine asked.

"Promise…" Christa said. "You always carry him around."

"Promise… I love him." Clementine said

Christa gave a small smile. "Yeah. I know you do."

"Well, it looks like the snows let up." Luke spoke up.

"That's good…" Christa said.

"We should get a move on." Vince said. "The sooner we get back to town the better."

"Christa?" Clementine called.

Christa turned to the child. "Yeah, Clem?"

"Can I hold the babies now?" Clementine asked.

"I… Sure Clem. You just got to be careful. They're fragile." Christa said.

Clementine nodded.

Christa gently took Crystal from Kenny's arms and placed the infant in her young mother's grip. "Support her head."

"She's so little. What's her name?" Clementine asked.

Christa couldn't help but be surprised by the question. "It's Crystal."

"Crystal. That's pretty." Clementine said.

"Yeah. It is." Christa said. She went over to Vince picked up Aleena before walking back over to Clementine. "And this is Aleena."

"Aleena…" Clementine repeated. "Sounds like Lee…"

"Yeah, it does. You know, you named them." Christa said.

"I did?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, you picked out some cute names." Christa said.

Clementine smiled. "They're cute. Are they yours?"

"I… No, Clem. They're not." Christa said.

"Oh… Who are their parents?" Clementine asked.

No one said a word for a moment.

Luke sighed then spoke, "They're mine."

Everyone looked to him.

"You're their daddy?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah… I am." Luke said.

"They're really pretty." Clementine said.

Luke nodded.

"They look like their mama." Kenny said.

"Who's their mom?" Clementine asked.

There was silence among them.

"They're probably hungry…" Christa changed the subject. "Do you want to feed one of them?"

"Can I?" Clementine asked.

"Of course." Christa said. Christa gently handed Aleena to Clementine as well. Clementine naturally cradle the babies, even though she didn't remember how to.

Christa got up and retrieved the twins bottle, filling them with formula and water. She shook the bottles before bringing them over to Clementine. "Alright, I'll feed one of them ad you can feed the other.

"I want to feed both of them." Clementine said.

"That might be a bit difficult, Clem. Let me help." Christa said.

"…Okay…" The child agreed.

Christa picked up Aleena who whimpered a bit, clearly wanting to stay in her mother's arms. Christa handed Clementine one of the bottles and Clementine proceeded to feed Crystal. Christa started to feed Aleena.

Clementine gave a small smile as she feed Crystal. She still was sad and confused about everything, but it was calming to be around the babies. And they were really cute.

Eventually the twins finished their bottles. Once again, Christa was concerned that Aleena didn't eat much.

"We should get moving." Vince spoke up.

The other adults nodded. They started gathering up their supplies. Christa took the twins. "Vince, mind carrying Clem."

"I can walk." Clementine said.

"Nah, I'll carry you, kiddo." Vince said.

"But why? I'm not a baby…" Clementine said.

"But you're hurt… You need to take it easy." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

Luke offered Kenny a hand to help him up, but he refused, standing on his own.

Vince picked the girl up.

"Your name is Vince?" Clementine asked.

"That's right." Vince confirmed.

"I'm Clementine." The child said.

Vince smiled. "Yeah. I know."

"You have… pretty hair." Clementine said.

Vince chuckled. "Thanks, Clem."

"You're welcome…" The child said before suddenly asking. "Do you know Lee?"

"No, I don't. But I heard he was a good guy." Vince said.

"He IS a good guy." Clementine corrected.

"I'm sure…" Vince said.

The group headed outside, making their way through the snow and to their vehicle. Luke and Kenny cleared the snow off the van before Vince opened the back door.

"I can drive." Vince offered to the others as he placed Clementine in the back seat. "Buckle up, kiddo."

"Okay…" Clementine obliged.

Christa sat beside the child, holding the twins. Luke got into the back seat beside her. Kenny took the passenger seat while Vince got into the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" Clementine asked.

"There's a town where our group is at. We're going there, Clem." Christa said.

"Oh… Okay…" Clementine said.

Christa was worried. The girl serious didn't remember anything. What was she gonna do?

* * *

The ride to the town was quiet besides cooing from the twins and innocent questions from Clementine every now and again.

About an hour into the ride the children had all drifted off.

"She doesn't remember anything…" Kenny said.

"She doesn't remember after Savannah." Christa corrected.

"So what do we do?" Luke asked.

"There's not much we can do… I'll talk to Carlos once we get to town." Christa said.

"This is fucked." Kenny said.

"We're always fucked…" Vince muttered.

"Let's not panic. This is just a temporary thing." Christa said.

"How do you know that?" Luke asked.

"She has a head injury… It only makes sense that she might forget somethings." Christa said.

"But that far back? We were in Savannah three years ago." Kenny said.

"Carlos will probably know what to do. If we freak out about the situation, we'll just stress her out. She doesn't need that." Christa said.

"What do we say about the twins?" Vince asked.

"What do you mean?" Christa asked.

"She doesn't know they're hers." Vince said.

"We're going to have to tell her at some point." Christa said.

"Maybe we shouldn't." Luke said.

"She'll find out eventually." Christa said. "She has the right to know. She's their mother."

"But think about it… We could let her be a kid. Her childhood was ripped away from her. Let's let her have it back for a while." Luke said.

Christa frowned. She didn't know what to say. Clementine had the right to know, but Luke did have a point. "Let's just get back to town."

Luke sighed at her response.

Vince continued driving without a word. He hoped they would get to town before it got dark.

* * *

The atmosphere was so full of tension and everyone was feeling it. The group was on edge,

The day had started out with stress and arguments were breaking out left and right.

Sarah and Becca hadn't spoken a word to each other since their argument. The two teens were just doing their own thing.

Sarah had been anxious all day, and the constant arguing was making it worse. Sarah stuck close to her dad, reading books to take her mind off any negativity.

Becca meanwhile decided to sort through the board games. She headed to the closet and organized the games on the shelf, however she furrowed her brow. Something wasn't right. The teen felt a surge of irritation run through her. She quickly stepped out the closet and went to angrily confront the group.

Once in the living room, Becca immediately asked the group members. "Where are the board games?"

"What?" Russell asked.

"Where the fuck are the board games?" Becca growled.

"What are you talking about?" Wyatt asked.

"Did you not hear me? Where are the board games?" Becca asked.

Wyatt shrugged. "They're around here somewhere."

"Well who touched them?" Becca asked.

"Why does it matter?" Russell questioned.

"Because I wanna fucking know." Becca said.

AJ started whimpering from her yells but Sarita calmed him.

"Sweetie, calm down. I'm sure they're in the closet." Sarita said.

Becca shook her head. "No, not all of them! Some of them are missing."

"Becca, this isn't a big deal." Wyatt said.

"Yes it is! I wanna know where fucking Candyland is!" Becca said.

"Candyland? Are you serious right now?" Wyatt asked.

"Completely serious!" Becca said.

"It's just a game!" Wyatt said.

"It's not just a game! It's Clem's favorite board game!" Becca exclaimed.

Everyone fell silent. They understood why she was so worked up now.

"What's all the yelling about?" Bonnie asked as she entered the room.

"Where's the Candyland game?" Becca asked.

"I... I put it on the kitchen counter. I didn't want the baby messing with it." Bonnie said.

"Don't fucking touch it! Ever. It's not yours!" Becca snapped.

Bonnie was surprised by that. "What's gotten into you?"

"That's Clementine's favorite game, don't touch it!" Becca said.

"Becca," Russell quickly grabbed the teen's arm. "Becca, stop."

"Let me go!" Becca exclaimed.

"You're getting worked up over nothing... Calm down." Russell said.

Becca shot him a glare. "You think what Clem cares about is nothing?!"

"That's not what I mean... Clementine wouldn't want you getting upset over a board game." Russell said.

Becca huffed taking a couple breaths.

"Let's just calm down… There's no need for all this." Wyatt said.

"Fine... Alright..." Becca said.

The two men led Becca from the room, leaving Bonnie looking stunned.

* * *

The snow-covered roads were slippery, but the van was handling it well. Vince drove slowly, keeping the car lights on so he could see.

Vince's hands ached from his tight grip on the steering wheel. Navigating through the unplowed roadways was a nightmare. Every so often the car wheels would spin without moving, forcing them to get out and push the car until it was no longer stuck.

Or they would simply pull over, so Christa could change a soiled diaper or feed the twins. Clementine was happily helping out, without even realizing she was taking care of her own daughters. Christa couldn't help but feel bad for not telling her.

It had been hours before the town finally came into view. Vince sighed in relief. The last hour had been full of endless wails from the twins until the finally fell asleep. He had been anxious about driving in the snow as it was, but all the noise had just made him more nervous. He was glad to finally be home free.

"Home sweet home." Vince muttered.

"I never thought I'd see this place again." Luke said.

"Be happy you are, you could've ended up like Jane." Kenny muttered.

"Who's Jane?" Clementine asked.

"Don't worry about it, Clem." Christa said.

"Come on, let's get the kids out of the cold." Vince said.

The others agreed.

Luke helped Clementine out of the van.

"I got her." Vince said as he got out the vehicle. He knew Kenny and Christa didn't trust Luke at the moment and wanted to do what he could to keep them from arguing. All the negativity was going to affect little Clementine.

Christa kept the twins in her arms as they got out the van.

"Why can't I walk?" Clementine asked.

"Well… Your legs might start hurting. We got a special wheelchair for you inside." Vince said.

"Why do I need a wheelchair?" Clementine asked. "I never had one before.

"It's only for a while. Your body just needs to recover… from the accident." Vince said.

"Oh… That makes sense." Clementine said.

Vince nodded.

The group made their way through the gates. Clementine looked around at her surroundings. The town seemed pretty nice.

"What do you think, Clem?" Vince asked.

"I… I don't know… Are the people here nice?" Clementine asked.

"For the most part. Don't worry. Everyone here loves you." Vince said.

Clementine giggled a bit. "Really?"

"Really. You got two best friends who are gonna be thrilled to see you." Vince said.

They started making their way to the house the group was staying at.

"Plus, I'm sure Alvie will be excited to see you." Kenny added.

"Who's Alvie?" Clementine asked.

"Right… Uh… Alvie's another baby." Kenny said.

"Aww! Is he tiny like Crystal and Aleena?" Clementine asked.

"Not that tiny. AJ's older than the twins. He's a year old now." Kenny said.

"How old are the twins?" Clementine asked.

"Five months… But they were premature…" Luke answered, "So they're more like two and a half."

"What's premature?" Clementine asked.

Christa felt deja-vu as Clementine asked that question. "Well, it takes nine months for a baby to be fully developed in the mother's stomach, but sometimes the baby decides it wants to be born sooner."

"Why?" The child questioned.

"Different reasons. Stress, the age of the mother…" Christa said. "It could be a lot of things."

"How can you tell how old the babies are?" Clementine wondered.

"We've been keeping track of the days… Best we can anyway." Luke said. "Right now, I'm pretty sure we're in December."

"December… So it's Christmas time!" Clementine beamed.

"I guess it's close to it." Kenny said. "Not like it's worth celebrating anymore."

Christa shot him a look.

"Oh…" Clementine frowned. "I guess you're right… It wouldn't be too happy anyway without mommy and daddy… I miss them…"

"I'm sure, Clem." Christa said.

"I miss Lee too. I hope he finds me soon." Clementine said.

Christa sighed at that but didn't respond.

They kept walking until a large mansion sized home came into view.

"I'm still confused." Clementine muttered.

"About what?" Vince asked.

"Who's the twins' mommy? Where is she?" Clementine asked.

Before anyone offered up an answer they heard a voice say. "Holy fuck!"

* * *

After Becca had calmed a bit Russell and Wyatt guided her outside to the enclosed porch and they sat down.

"Becca, you can keep freaking out on people like that." Wyatt said.

"She should keep her hands off of things that don't belong to her." Becca replied.

"Bonnie didn't mean any harm… You know that." Russell said.

"I don't care. Bonnie does whatever she wants all the time. She's just annoying." Becca huffed.

"She just moved a game." Wyatt said.

"I know…" Becca took a deep, calming breath. "But that game is Clem's favorite… I don't want it getting lost."

"Well it's not lost." Russell said. "Look, everybody's been on edge and it's getting to you. I can tell. But you can't just flip out on Bonnie, or anyone for that matter, for nothing."

Becca opened her mouth to say something but stopped as she caught sight of some people approaching the house.

The teen quickly jumped to her feet and opened the door to get a better look.

"Becca?" Wyatt raised a brow.

"Holy fuck!" Becca exclaimed.

Without hesitation the girl raced outside and towards the approaching group members.

"You're alive! I can't believe you're alive." Becca said.

Clementine gave her a quizzical look. "Who are you?"

* * *

As they entered the building, Vince sat Clementine on the couch.

The group members were relieved to see them. Sarita hugged Kenny as soon as she spotted him.

The others quickly tried to crowd around, but Kenny and Luke kept them back. Sarah however rushed forward. "Clementine!"

In the blink of the eye Clementine found herself wrapped in a tight hug. The older girl was in tears. "I'm so glad you're home!"

Clementine lowered her head, "Home?"

Vince sighed, taking hold of Sarah's shoulder and easing her away from Clementine. "Give her some room, Sarah."

"It's okay... I like hugs." Clementine said.

Sarah looked down at Clementine's little face. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... Who are you?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "It... It's me. Sarah."

"...I'm sorry... I don't remember you." Clementine said.

Sarah face fell, and her shoulders slumped. "W-What?"

"It's not just you... She doesn't remember anything..." Vince said.

Stunned silence spread over the room and Clementine felt all eyes on her.

The child shifted, feeling a bit uncomfortable under all the "strangers'" eyes.

"But... But why? You really don't remember us?" Sarah asked, fighting back tears.

Clementine scanned everyone's faces then shook her head. The child couldn't help but wonder why everyone looked so sad.

Clementine had some visible injuries, but the most concerning to Carlos was the head injury.

Carlos immediately checked over the twins. After making sure they were okay and getting a bit of cough medicine in their system Christa took them to her room and placed them into their bassinet to rest.

After checking over the twins, Carlos proceeded to check Clementine's injuries.

When Christa returned from her room and informed him that the girl had hit her head, Carlos felt a bit concerned. His biggest fear was if damage was done to the brain. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Clementine..." The girl answered.

"Clementine, do you remember what happened to you?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know...They said I was in a car crash." Clementine said.

"You don't remember that?" Carlos asked.

"I don't." Clementine blinked, "Are you a doctor?"

Carlos nodded. "Yes, I am."

"My mommy's a doctor." Clementine said.

"Was she?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah." Clementine said.

Carlos knelt to the child's level. "Do you remember my name?"

"…No…" The girl frowned.

"You don't?" Carlos asked.

"Uh-uh." Clementine said.

Carlos frowned at that, straightening up.

"How's she?" Luke asked.

"Physically, she'll be fine… But we adults should have a conversation…" Carlos said.

The others nodded.

"Becca, why don't you go get Candyland and let Clementine here play with you and Sarah..." Wyatt suggested.

"Uh… Okay? Do you wanna play, Clem?" Becca asked.

"Y-Yes please. I love Candyland." Clementine said.

Becca nodded and went to go retrieve the board game.

They waited until the teen returned with the game before they headed into the kitchen area to talk. Christa looked to Clementine, "Stay here, okay… I'll be right back." She knew the girl wasn't going to go anywhere, she could barely walk, but she wanted to be sure."

"Okay…" Clementine said.

"Good girl…" Christa said.

Clementine gave a slight flinch at the words, eyes going wide. "I… I don't like that."

Christa raised a brow at that. "Why not?"

"…I don't know." Clementine didn't know why but hearing the words "good girl" made her shudder. "I just don't…"

"Okay… I won't say it anymore." Christa said.

"Okay, thank you…" Clementine said.

"You play with your friends. I'll be back." Christa said.

Clementine nodded, and Christa slowly went to join the other adults.

* * *

"She really doesn't remember anything?" Bonnie asked.

"Not much..." Christa said. "She doesn't remember anyone here aside from me and Kenny. She remembers being in Savannah, which was three years ago."

"How did this even happen?" Russell questioned.

"She was in a car accident. Jane purposely crashed the car." Christa said. "We're lucky she's still here…"

"Why would Jane do that?" Bonnie asked.

"Because she was a crazy fuck." Kenny said.

"Where is... Jane?" Wyatt asked.

"Gone. And not coming back." Kenny replied.

"It didn't have to be like that..." Luke muttered.

"Oh, shut up. No one asked for your opinion." Kenny said.

"You know what, Kenny. I made a mistake, but I'm not gonna let you keep treating me like dirt." Luke huffed.

"You're lucky I'm treating you like anything. You could've been in the dirt." Kenny retorted.

"I'm sick of your threats too! You don't scare me." Luke grumbled.

"I told you I don't make threats. I make promises." Kenny said.

Luke gritted his teeth. "And I'll make sure you don't keep that promise."

"Who's making threats now?" Kenny huffed. "I'm not worried about you, Luke. You don't got the stones to do shit. I kicked your ass before and I'd do it again in a minute."

"Enough!" Christa said. "This is about three kids who could've died. You're arguing isn't helping anything. We got a little girl who can't remember anything. She can't ever remember her own children. So, stop your pissing contest and grow the hell up!"

Kenny and Luke both fell quiet.

After a moment Carlos spoke, "It might not be the head injury that's completely causing the amnesia... Clementine might be blocking out her memories herself. She has a lot of painful memories and she's suppressing them to keep from facing them."

"You think so?" Russell asked.

"It's hard to know the exact cause. She seemed confused when I was talking to her... I definitely believe she doesn't remember anything..." Carlos sighed. "Unless she's a good actress."

"She's a damn good actress..." Bonnie muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Christa asked.

"I... It's nothing." Bonnie quickly said.

Christa shot her a glare. "No. What the hell do you mean by that? You think she's lying?!"

"Not about this, but she has lied in the past." Bonnie said.

"So you're calling Clementine a liar?" Christa asked.

"I'm not calling her anything." Bonnie said.

"You just said she lied. You're calling her a liar." Christa replied.

"I didn't call her a liar. I said she lied before. And I'm not the only one who knows that." Bonnie said.

"What the hell did she lie about?" Christa questioned.

Bonnie was quiet for a moment. She felt like she was in a lion's den. "She lied about the whole Howe's incident."

"The fuck? She was raped, she didn't lie about that!" Kenny snapped.

"She had two kids to prove that she wasn't fucking lying." Christa added.

"I don't mean about being raped. But she lied about what happened. She claimed person after person sexually abused her when they didn't. That's called lying." Bonnie said.

"You're fucking kidding, right?" Kenny inquired. "She was scared! What did you expect her to do?"

"Bonnie, you have a lot of nerve to talk about anybody lying." Vince spoke up.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm not gonna let you talk bad about a little kid. She's not a liar." Vince said. "It's pretty hypocritical of you to call her one."

"So you're saying I'm the liar?" Bonnie said.

"If the shoe fits wear it." Christa said.

"Does it make you feel good to talk shit about a child?" Vince asked.

"I would never talk shit about a kid." Bonnie said. "I'm not that kind of person. I would never intentionally try to hurt someone's feelings."

"I don't believe that." Kenny said.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"Because you're a fucking bully." Kenny said. "You have no morsel of respect for Clem."

"Everyone please... The last thing we need is to turn against each other... Clem's not a liar, she's a little girl. And we need to focus on helping her not hurting her." Sarita said.

"I never called her a liar." Bonnie claimed.

"You did! Just not in those words." Christa said.

"Guys, she doesn't know what happened at Howe's anymore." Wyatt said. "She doesn't remember anything. We can start a clean slate."

"Shouldn't we be helping her regain her memories?" Christa asked.

"If she doesn't remember now, there's a chance she might not remember at all. I don't think we should remind her of anything that happened..." Carlos muttered.

"Neither do I. Let's just let her be..." Russell said. "Let her heal up and keep what happened to ourselves."

"And let her think that she's still an eight-year-old kid. Let her think that we're in Savannah, and Lee is looking for her? You expect me to lie to her." Christa asked.

"It wouldn't be a lie. We can tell her some stuff, but we don't talk about Howe's." Carlos said. "This is her chance to be a child. Something that was taken away from her. Don't take it again."

"You don't think she'll remember at some point?" Luke asked.

"There might be a chance that she regains her memories. Anything could trigger her to remember." Carlos said.

"And what if she doesn't? What if she never remembers?" Kenny asked.

"Her not remembering isn't exactly a bad thing. She doesn't remember any of the events that happened this past year. I personally think that's good. Her physical wounds are my concern and they will obviously be cared for. She's fine." Carlos replied.

"What if she puts the pieces together?" Christa asked.

"She won't." Carlos said.

"What if she does? We can't keep a secret like this from her. She'll never trust us." Christa said. "She has two kids. She should know about them."

"I'm telling you it's a bad idea. Unless you want to cause a mental break down you'll keep everything to yourself." Carlos said.

"So everyone just wants to basically lie to her?" Christa said. "No one thinks we should tell her about her kids?"

No one said a word, but their silence spoke for them all.

"This is absolute bullshit." Christa said with a grimace of disgust. She stood up and stormed out the room. She headed to her bedroom. The twins were still fast asleep in their basinet.

Christa sighed as she took a seat on the bed. This wasn't right, Clementine should know the truth about who the twins belonged to. She was reaching her wits' end with this group…


	32. Chapter 32

_**Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.**_

 _ **Final chapter should be out tonight or tomorrow.**_

* * *

"This is all so… much… I can't believe this is happening." Luke muttered.

"Amnesia isn't uncommon after a traumatic injury." Carlos said.

"Do you think it'll be permanent?" Bonnie asked.

"Like I said, I can't tell. Sometimes the mind blocks out memories. We don't fully understand how the brain functions." Carlos said.

"So… we're really not going to tell her about her own kids?" Vince asked.

"From what Christa said, she doesn't remember anything since what happened two or three years ago. Right now… she's just the same nine year old kid that she was, at least to her. She's not a pre-teen mother." Carlos said.

"But she should know… What about when they get older… They're gonna wonder." Vince said.

"That won't be for a long time. We need to do what's best for Clementine right now. Besides, she's too young to raise those babies anyway." Carlos said.

"She birthed them. She almost died." Vince reminded.

"I'm well aware of that." Carlos said.

"Why not tell her that? We can't just leave her thinking she's a nine-year-old kid in Savannah." Vince asked.

"Why not? Better than knowing she was raped and had two kids by a pedophile." Wyatt said.

"Exactly. At this point in time, I think it's prudent that we try to keep her distracted from thinking about the past." Carlos stated.

Vince frowned at that. "I just think this is wrong…"

"She's a lot cheerier than she was. I think it's better this way." Bonnie said. "We won't have to worry about the depression or the cutting anymore. She can just be a kid again."

"How do we keep her from finding out?" Luke asked. "You don't think Sarah and Becca will spill the beans?"

They exchanged looks.

Carlos got to his feet. "I'm going to go check on them now."

"Carlos, I don't think that's the best idea." Russell said.

"And why not?" Carlos inquired.

"Well… you can come across as a bit intimidating sometimes… I wouldn't want you scaring Clem…" Russell said.

"He has a point…" Sarita said.

"How would I scare her?" Carlos asked.

"Do you really need me to answer that question?" Russell sighed.

"She's in a fragile state of mind… Considering she doesn't remember any of us besides Kenny and Christa, she'll probably easily get frightened around us." Carlos said. "If she gets startled by me, it won't be my fault."

"Maybe that's true, but that's more reason why you shouldn't check in on her." Wyatt said.

Luke spoke up, "I think she'll be fine, I can-"

Kenny quickly stopped him. "You shouldn't go near her, at all… Ever."

Luke sent him a look, "Kenny…"

"I'm serious. You've done enough…" Kenny said.

"But…" Luke frowned trailing off. There was no use fighting over it. He knew Kenny would just keep arguing or become violent.

"I'll check on her..." Vince spoke up.

"I should. She remembers me." Kenny said.

"Kenny, you should rest." Sarita said.

"I'm not tired, Sarita…" Kenny protested.

"But you're injured… Please. I'll keep an eye on Clementine and AJ today while you and Christa sleep…" Sarita told him.

"You sure?" Kenny asked.

Sarita gave a nod. "Positive."

"Alright…" Kenny said. "I could use some rest…"

"Go ahead and get some." Sarita urged.

Kenny nodded and stood up.

"…That guy is out of his mind." Luke muttered.

"He's… just got a lot going on." Sarita defended.

"He murdered Jane. He came back covered in her blood and acted like it was nothing. Not to mention he's been threatening me all day." Luke said.

"Jane nearly killed Clementine. She left Crystal out in the cold and put Aleena in a car, pretending she was dead. In my opinion, she was asking for this. If Kenny hadn't killed her, she would've kidnapped your daughter. You're okay with that?" Vince asked.

"Of course not." Luke said.

"I know you and Jane were a thing at some point, but she lost it. This world changes people… sometimes for the worse." Vince said. "Kenny cares about Clementine and the twins… And sometimes, you gotta do the hard things to protect your family."

Luke sighed as Vince stood up and walked over to check on Clementine.

* * *

The three children continued to play the board game until they caught the sound of bickering from the other room.

Clementine frowned and covered her ears.

"You okay?" Becca asked.

"They're fighting…" Clementine muttered, hands still over her ears.

"They always fight." Becca shrugged.

"I hate fighting…" Clementine said.

"So do I…" Sarah said.

"Why are they fighting?" Clementine asked as her little hands slowly dropped from her ears.

"Because, that's what grown-ups do." Becca said. "They fight over stupid stuff."

"…Oh… Not Lee… He'll break the fight up once he gets here." Clementine stated.

"Lee? I thought you said he died." Becca said.

Clementine's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "I would never say that! Lee's never going to leave me…"

"…Alright." Becca said.

Sarah was surprised that the teen didn't start arguing with the girl. "How are the twins?"

"Umm… I think they're good. They're so cute!" Clementine said.

"Yeah, they are. Do you remember them?" Becca asked.

"Well… Not really. But I love them already." Clementine said.

"You're supposed to love them. They're-"

Before Becca could get another word out, Vince had approached and knelt to Clementine's level. "Hey kiddo, what you up to?"

"Vince." Clementine suddenly said.

"Huh?" Vince asked.

"Your name. It's Vince. I didn't forget." Clementine said. "You guys said I can't remember anything. That's not very nice to say about me…"

"Clementine, no one's trying to be mean to you…" Vince said.

"You all said I have a bad memory. Everyone was making fun of me." Clementine sniffled.

"That's not true, Clem." Vince sighed." You hit your head kid, that's why you can't remember."

"I remember a lot of things." Clementine claimed. "I remember my favorite color, and songs… I remember your name too!"

"Okay… I'm sorry kid, I'm not trying to upset you." Vince sighed.

"Okay…. Wanna play with me?" Clementine asked.

"Actually, how about we get you some food, Clem?" Sarita walked over holding AJ.

Clementine gasped. "Y-Your arm… It's gone…"

"I…. Yes. It is…" Sarita said.

"Why?" Clementine asked. "Does it hurt…?"

"I was…. In an accident." Sarita said. "It doesn't hurt much…"

"…You were in an accident like me?" Clementine asked.

Sarita paused. "A different kind of accident."

"Oh… What happened?" Clementine asked.

Sarita hesitated to respond. Clementine had felt so guilty about what happened when she knew before… She couldn't bring herself to tell the girl. "Don't worry about it, sweetie."

"Umm… okay… What's your name?" Clementine asked.

"Sarita." The woman replied.

"That's a pretty name. I like it." Clementine said. "Umm…Can I hold the baby?"

"Of course. His name's AJ." Sarita said.

"AJ… Yeah, Kenny told me about him." Clementine said. "Hi, AJ."

AJ cooed and reached to the girl.

"He's happy to see you." Sarita smiled.

Clementine giggled at that. "He's cute. Are you his mom?"

"Not really. I just look after him… With Kenny." Sarita answered.

"Kenny?" Clementine echoed.

"Well… Kenny's my boyfriend…" Sarita explained.

"R-Really?" Clementine was surprised to hear that. She thought Kenny would be too sad to get a new girlfriend after what happened to Katjaa.

"Really." Sarita said.

"But… the baby's not yours?" Clementine said again.

"No, he's not…" Sarita confirmed.

"Where's his mommy?" Clementine asked.

"She's gone, Clem… She didn't make it…" Sarita said.

Clementine frowned. "Oh… That's sad."

"Yeah… It is." Sarita sighed.

"…Is that what happened to the twins' mommy?" Clementine questioned.

Sarah and Becca exchanged looks of shock at that.

Sarita's eyes widened at the question. "Well…"

"Is she dead too?" Clementine asked.

Vince let out a sigh, and Sarita sent him a look forever turning back to Clementine.

"Sweetie, let's get you some food." Sarita said.

"Okay…" Clementine muttered. She figured something sad must've happened to the twins' mommy and that was why the group didn't want to talk about it. "I'm sorry…"

"For what, sweetie?" Sarita asked.

"For… being mean." Clementine said.

"How were you mean, Clem?" Vince questioned.

"I… I was asking mean questions. I'm sorry…" Clementine said.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay, sweetie." Sarita said.

"Okay… Can I walk?" Clementine asked.

"Actually, how about I go get your wheelchair." Vince offered.

"Oh… Okay…" Clementine agreed.

Vince headed off to go get the wheelchair.

"Sarah, Becca, may I speak with you for a moment?" Sarita asked the two teens.

Sarah and Becca both nodded and got up, as continued to Clementine play with AJ.

Sarita led the teens away from Clementine's earshot.

"Is everything okay?" Sarah asked.

Sarita paused for a moment. "Well… You know Clementine can't remember anything that's happened for the past few years… The group made the decision to not tell her about the past…"

"Why not?" Sarah asked.

"Because she's had a really hard time. And you both know how sad she was before… We don't want her falling back into that depression." Sarita said.

"But that's not right. If I had a kid that I didn't know about, I'd be pissed if no one told me about them." Becca said.

"This is for the best. We just want to make sure Clementine is okay. Hearing negative stories will not make her feel good about herself." Sarita said.

"So we… have to lie to her?" Sarah asked. "I don't like lying."

"We're not lying to anyone." Sarita said. "We're just not going to talk about certain things around Clementine."

"And what if she keeps asking?" Becca asked.

"We'll change the subject." Sarita said. "I want you girls to promise not to her anything about Howe's or the twins being hers."

Sarah and Becca both frowned.

"She's fragile, and we don't want her having an emotional breakdown." Sarita told them.

"…I… I won't say anything." Sarah said.

"What?" Becca scoffed.

"I don't want her to have a breakdown either. I saw her have panic attacks before… They're really scary, Becca." Sarah said with a frown.

Becca let out a sigh. "Fine… My lips are sealed too."

"Thank you." Sarita said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I like it." Becca said.

"Will she ever remember again?" Sarah asked.

"Maybe one day, but can't push her into remembering, because if we do she might remember something bad." Sarita replied.

"Okay…" Sarah said.

* * *

Vince headed to Christa's room, giving a knock at the door.

"Come in…" Christa called.

Vince opened the door. "I uh, wanted to get Clem's chair…"

Christa motioned to where it was without a word.

"You okay?" Vince asked.

Christa didn't answer the question, instead she asked one of her own. "How's my girl?"

"She's alright… She's just playing right now." Vince responded.

"Good…" Christa sighed. "Everytime we move forward, we take a few steps back."

"At least she's alive. At least we found her and the twins." Vince said.

"She's been through hell… And they don't want to tell her about her own babies… That's wrong." Christa sighed.

"I know…"

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Christa asked him.

"What was I supposed to say, Christa?" Vince asked. "I'm sick of the arguments. If we say something they don't agree with, we're immediately shut down. They hear what they want to hear."

"That's the problem." Christa said.

"Christa, I know you're trying to defend Clem, but we gotta pick our battles wisely." Vince said.

"I always pick my battles wisely. Even when I'm not picking them. We shouldn't be battling over telling Clementine that she birthed two babies. She almost died. She fought to have these twins. She deserves to know." Christa said.

"I know…" Vince said. "But what if Carlos is right… What if she has a mental breakdown?"

"We'll deal with it…" Christa said.

"If we tell her she has kids, she's going to wonder how…" Vince pointed out.

"I realized that." Christa said.

"Which means, you'd have to tell her about Carver…" Vince said.

"I don't want to tell her about her being raped, but I won't lie to her either if she asks." Christa said. "Considering she's back to thinking she's her nine-year-old self, she doesn't even know what rape is."

"You're gonna tell her about the twins though?" Vince asked.

"I want to…. I'm contemplating." Christa said.

"I just don't want to see her fall back into that depression. I felt awful for the poor kid..." Vince said.

 _"Stop it!"_ They suddenly heard Clementine exclaimed.

"Shit... what's going on now?" Vince huffed.

"We better go find out." Christa said.

Vince gave a nod, grabbing the wheelchair. They headed out the room.

* * *

As the other adults continued talking Bonnie made a suggestion. "We should introduce ourselves. Well...again."

"We have to be careful. We don't want to overwhelm her." Carlos said. "One person speak at a time. And don't get to close…"

The others nodded.

Slowly the group members approached the child, trying to be careful not to startle her.

Clementine immediately became nervous as she was once again surrounded by a crowd of people.

"Hey there, City Mouse..." Bonnie greeted.

"I… I'm not a mouse..." Clementine said.

"I know, sweetie." Bonnie said. "That's just a nickname.

"W-What do you want? Are you gonna hurt me?" Clementine stammered.

"Clem, no one's gonna hurt you..." Luke stepped forward. "Everyone here is nice..."

Clementine shook her head. "You were all yelling... I heard yelling."

"We were just in a bit of an argument." Russell said. "It's over now…"

Clementine scanned the unfamiliar faces as they stood around her, she held little AJ closer. "That's how Carley got killed."

"W-What?" Luke stuttered.

Clementine frowned. "Everyone was arguing… And then… Lilly just shot her…"

The group members were shocked to hear that.

"Clem, you don't have to worry… You're safe here, I promise…" Luke said.

"W-Where's Christa?" Clementine asked.

"She's resting right now…" Bonnie said.

"Then… Kenny… Where's he?" Clementine asked.

"Clementine, they're both resting. They haven't gotten much sleep lately."

Clementine fell quiet for a moment. "I want Vince…"

"Vince?" Luke repeated, raising a brow.

"He's my friend… I want him!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Clem, please… Just calm down…." Bonnie said.

"Stop it!" Clementine cried. "Stop saying my name like you know me!"

AJ immediately started crying.

Sarita quickly came back to the room to see what was happening and just a moment later Vince returned with Clementine's wheelchair, Christa was right behind him.

"What's going on?" Christa asked.

Clementine just continued whimpering.

"Hey… Hey, calm down." Vince stepped towards the child. Carlos tried to stop him, but Vince ignored. "It's alright… Here, let Sarita take the baby."

"O-Okay." Clementine stammered.

Sarita quickly took AJ.

Vince took a seat beside little Clementine, "What's the matter?"

"You left me… I wanted you to stay…" Clementine sniffled.

"I didn't go anywhere, kid. I went to get your chair."

Clementine looked over to the wheelchair. "I don't like it!"

"Clem…." Vince sighed.

"No!" The child laid on the couch, burying her face into one of the pillows.

Vince was confused on what had triggered the girl's behavior. "Clementine… It's alright. You don't have to sit in the chair right now…"

"I don't want the chair! Ever!" Clementine responded.

"Clementine, you have to use the chair… It helps you get around." Christa said in a stern tone.

"NO!" Clementine cried.

"You need the chair. You can't walk!" Carlos said.

"Yes, I can!" Clementine exclaimed. "I always walk. I don't need a chair."

"You have amnesia! You don't remember what happened, but you cannot walk." Carlos said.

"I don't believe you!" Clementine said.

"Alright, alright, settle down…" Vince said. "The yelling's scaring the baby."

Clementine just buried her face into the pillow again and started whimpering even more.

Christa sighed. "Come here, Clem."

The child didn't even look up.

"It's okay… I know you're scared right now…" Christa slowly pulled the child into her arms. "Don't cry."

Clementine hugged her guardian as she continued whimpering. She scans their faces, heart pounding like a jackhammer in her chest.

"Shh… It's okay, I got you…" Christa rubbed the child's back. "Does anyone want to explain to me why you guys were crowding around her?"

"We… We just wanted to introduce ourselves." Bonnie said.

"Clem, listen to me… No one wants to upset you. They just want to tell you their names, okay?" Christa said.

"…You tell me their names…" Clementine said.

"Okay, Clem…" Christa sighed, while still keeping the young girl in her arms. "You already know Luke and Vince." Christa motioned to each person as she spoke.

Clementine gave a nod.

"That's Sarita and AJ." Christa continued. "That's Bonnie, Wyatt, and Russell. Then we have Carlos, Sarah, and Becca."

"O-Okay…" Clementine nodded.

"Say hello…" Christa urged.

"H-Hi…" Clementine said, before she suddenly started whimpering once again.

"What's wrong now?" Christa asked.

"All our old group's gone…" Clementine sniffled. "Where's Omid? And… And Lee, and Ben?"

"They're not here, Clem… We're not in Savannah anymore." Christa told the girl.

"Why?" Clementine whimpered.

"Because it wasn't safe there." Christa replied.

"But I want to go find mommy and daddy." Clementine said.

"Sweetie, your parents didn't make it. I'm looking after you now." Christa said.

The little girl started whimpering more.

"Everything's going to be okay…" Christa hugged the little girl.

She cried until she had exhausted herself. After that Clementine slowly stuck her thumb and her mouth, wiping away her tears. "Can I sleep now?"

"Sure, Clem..." Christa said.

* * *

The woman took the tired child to her bedroom and laid her down. After placing the child on the bed, she tucked her in.

"Christa... The twins sleep in here too?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, they do..." Christa said.

"Why? Aren't they Luke's babies?" Clementine seemed a bit confused.

"Luke doesn't know how to look after them." Christa stated.

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

"He's still a kid himself." Christa huffed. "He's not ready to be a dad…"

"We can teach him out to take care of them. I'll help you." Clementine said. "Are we going to help teach him…?"

"Right now, I want you to get some sleep, sweetie." Christa said.

"Okay..." Clementine said.

Once the child had drifted off, Christa left the room.

"Do you understand now why we can't tell her about the twins?" Carlos muttered as he saw her.

"No… I don't understand." Christa replied.

"Did you not see how hysterical she just was? Imagine how she'll act if we tell her the truth about the twins…" Carlos said.

"She was scared. She was being crowded by people she doesn't remember." Christa said. "She's not going to freak out if we tell her about the twins. She should know about that they're her kids!"

"Her body's telling her mind to back off, because her memories are more painful to her than the amnesia." Carlos said.

"Memories define us. What if you lost yours? Your identity, your past, the people you knew and loved – all of that and the people you should be able to trust only tell you half the story or nothing at all." Christa said.

"Christa, we've all agreed not to say anything to her. We're trying to prevent her from going back into her traumatized state." Carlos said.

"She's already traumatized. And if she remembers, she'll be hurt that we kept this from her." Christa said.

"Telling her would be a mistake." Carlos said. "Don't do that to her."

Christa just shook her head. "I think you people are ridiculous." With that she walked away.

* * *

About an hour had passed before Clementine woke up to the twins' cries.

"Christa?" The girl called. However, her guardian wasn't in the room.

Clementine glanced to the side of her bed and saw her tattered teddy bear, she picked him up with a small smile. "Hello, Promise." She then placed him back down as the twins continued crying.

The girl frowned and slowly forced herself off the bed. She could feel her legs trembling as she tried to hold her balance. Clementine held onto the wall and stumbled over to the crib. "It's okay… Don't cry…" She wanted to pick them up and rock them, but the twins both seemed to quiet down a bit upon hearing her voice.

Suddenly the door opened, and Christa stepped into the room. Clementine flinched a bit.

"Clem? What are you doing, sweetie?" Christa asked as she placed two bottles on the table.

"The babies were crying…" Clementine said.

"How'd you get over there?" Christa asked.

"I walked! I can walk… kind of." Clementine said. "I just had to use the wall for help."

"Oh… Well you need to be careful. I don't want you getting hurt." Christa said.

"Okay…"

Christa walked over to the crib. The twins' cries had turned into whimpers. They were probably glad to hear their mother's voice. "They're hungry. Want to feed them?"

"Can I?" Clementine beamed.

"Of course you can, Clem." Christa said. "But let's get you sitting down first…"

"Okay." Clementine agreed.

Christa led the child over to the bed, helping her take a seat. "Alright… I'll let you feed the twins."

"Both of them?" Clementine asked.

"I don't think you can feed them both at the same time." Christa said.

"But I can try…" Clementine said.

"Nah, just let me help you, okay, Clem?" Christa replied.

"…Okay…" Clementine agreed. "I'll feed Crystal today."

"Okay, sounds good." Christa said as she went over to the crib and picked up Crystal. She was relieved that the twins didn't have high temperatures anymore. "After they're fed we should get you sometime to eat."

"I wish I had a sundae…" Clementine said.

"I'm sure." Christa chuckled as she placed Crystal into Clementine's arms. "But I'm sure we'll find you something you want to eat."

"Okay… I won't be picky." Clementine said.

Christa nodded and grabbed Crystal's bottle, giving it to Clementine who proceeded to feed the infant. Christa went to get Aleena and fed her as well.

"...What do you think of the twins, Clem?" Christa asked.

"They're cute. I love them." Clementine said.

"Yeah, they are cute." Christa said.

"Lee will love them!" Clementine said.

Christa sighed at that but said nothing else. Eventually they finished feeding the twins. After the twins were burped, Christa turned to Clementine. "You wanna changed their diapers?"

Clementine cringed. "That's gross…"

"But it's something mommy's do for their babies…" Christa said.

"But their mommy's gone…" Clementine frowned. "…I'll change them."

"You will?"

Clementine nodded.

"Okay. Tell me if you need help." Christa said.

"I can handle it." Clementine responded.

Christa grabbed fresh diapers for the babies and some wipes. Clementine laid Crystal down and removed the infant's clothing. She then proceeded to change Crystal's diaper.

"Want me to change Aleena?" Christa asked.

"…I can take care of both of them." Clementine said.

"Alright, Clem."

Clementine said nothing as she changed Crystal. Once she was done, she placed a fresh diaper on the baby and redressed her. The young girl then turned her attention to Aleena.

Christa took Crystal into her arms and put the baby in the crib while Clementine focused on changing Aleena.

After couple minutes Clementine finished changing Aleena. She picked the baby up and smiled. "Done."

"Thank you, Clem." Christa said. "…You're a good little mommy, aren't you...?"

Clementine giggled at that. "I guess I am."

Christa walked over and took Aleena before placing her in her crib too. "Alright, Clem. Let's throw these dirty diapers away and get you some food."

"I'll stay here with the twins." Clementine said.

"You don't want to have dinner with the group?" Christa asked.

"No… I want to have dinner with you." Clementine said.

"Alright, Clem. If that's what you want?" Christa said. "No walking around though, okay?"

"But…. I can walk…" Clementine said.

"I know, but I want you to use your chair." Christa didn't want to risk the child getting hurt.

Clementine huffed as she looked at the wheelchair. "…Okay…"

"Good." Christa said. "I'll be right back."

Christa took the dirty diapers and went to throw them away. The other group members had already cooked up some dinner.

After throwing away the diapers she washed her hands and went to get herself and Clementine some food.

"How's Clem?" Luke asked.

"She just woke up…But she's doing okay…" Christa said.

"Luke was telling us about this house he and Jane were staying at. Apparently, it had a bunch of supplies." Bonnie said.

"Enough to last us a while." Luke added. "We should send some folks out to get it…"

"Are you sure that's smart though… The last time we sent a group out they were trapped in a storm." Christa said.

"But it's not far and we need more supplies if we're gonna last through the winter." Luke said.

"He has a point. We could definitely use more supplies." Wyatt said.

"But it's a bad move. We're putting our people at risk." Vince said.

"We're at risk of starving if we don't get supplies." Luke said.

"I'll go. But I say we wait until some of the snow clears up." Wyatt said.

"Me too." Bonnie said.

"The supplies could be gone by then." Luke argued.

"If there's really that much supplies, and you and Jane are the first to find it, then I don't think within a few days it will be gone." Wyatt replied. "The only way I'm going is if we wait for that snow to clear up. I'm not getting trapped out there in the snow."

"I guess…. I guess that's fair enough." Luke sighed.

"Do whatever you think is best." Christa replied.

"Alright then…" Luke said.

Silence fell for a bit.

"City mouse isn't going to join us for dinner?" Bonnie asked.

"She's still warming up to everyone. This is a lot for her to take in." Christa said.

"Right… that makes sense." Bonnie nodded.

"She needs her bandage changed. I can do it if you bring her to me." Carlos said.

"Alright... once she finishes eating, if she'll let you. If not, I'll just do it." Christa said.

Carlos nodded.

With two bowls of soup, Christa made her way to the room Clementine was in. The girl was sitting on the bed playing with Promise while the twins were cooing from their crib.

"You hungry?" Christa asked.

"Yes, please…" Clementine said. "I think Promise is hungry too."

"Well… Promise can make his own magic food." Christa said. She handed Clementine a bowl of soup. "Eat up, sweetie."

"Okay."

"Carlos wants to change your bandages after this…" Christa informed the child.

"Will it hurt?" Clementine asked.

"It might sting a bit…" Christa said.

"I… I don't want him to do it then…" Clementine said.

"Clem… He has to." Christa said.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Because we don't want you getting an infection." Christa said.

"I won't get an infection…" Clementine said.

"If we let that bandage just sit there, you will." Christa said. "Your bandage has to be changed…"

"I want you to do it…" Clementine told her guardian.

"Okay then." Christa said. "After you finish eating."

Clementine started eating her soup. "When can I walk?"

"Carlos is going to help you with your walking…" Christa said. "You just need more practice, and patience."

"Now?" Clementine asked.

"Maybe tomorrow." Christa said.

"Okay…"

* * *

After the two finished eating Christa took the bowls to be wash and then gathered some supplies to change Clementine bandages.

When the woman returned to the room, the twins were fast asleep in their crib and Clementine was once again playing with her bear. "Okay, Clem, you ready?"

"I don't want it to hurt…" Clementine said.

"It'll be okay. You're tough." Christa said.

"No... I don't want to change my bandages." Clementine frowned.

"Clementine, it has to be changed. I'll make it fast." Christa said.

"O-Okay…" Clementine stammered.

"Good." Christa slowly started to unwrap the bandage from the child's head. She used a warm rag to clean the wound, Clementine gave a wince from the slight sting. After she finished cleaning the wound she applied some ointment to it and rewrapped it. "There, that wasn't so bad was it?"

"It hurt…" Clementine said.

"But you're tough, like I said. You didn't even cry." Christa said.

Clementine gave a small smile at that. "Yeah. I didn't."

"Well, how about you go play for a bit before bed?" Christa suggested.

"Umm… I want to stay with you." Clementine said, sounding a bit nervous.

Christa was a bit surprised by the child sudden clinginess to her, but she couldn't blame her. She knew the girl was nervous and confused. "Why don't you play with Promise then?"

"Okay…" Clementine said.

"I'm going to go put these supplies back." Christa told her.

Clementine nodded, and Christa went to do just that. When Christa returned Clementine was still playing with her bear.

"I want to draw please." Clementine said.

"You want to draw?"

"Yes. Can I?" Clementine asked.

"Alright then." Christa grabbed a coloring book and some crayons from the table, passing them to the girl. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Clementine said.

"You're welcome, Clem." Christa said.

The little girl flipped to a page and started coloring in the book. About an hour passed before the child seemed to be drifting off.

"Let's get some sleep, Clem. You can play tomorrow." Christa said.

"Okay… I hope Lee finds us tomorrow." Clementine said.

Christa didn't respond as she took the coloring book and placed it on the table. She then tucked the girl in. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight." Clementine closed her eyes and it wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Christa blew out the candle on the dresser and decided to follow suit and considering the rest of the house was quiet now she assumed the others had headed to bed as well.

Christa laid down beside the little girl and gently rubbed a hand over the sleeping child's little cheek. She wanted to hug the child, tell her everything was going to be okay, but she was sure the little girl would only be confused.

She dropped her hand to her side and tried to get some sleep. She knew they would get through this. They would get through anything that came their way.

* * *

"Daddy… Is Clementine going to be okay?" Sarah asked her father, looking nervous.

"She's going to be fine. She's just needs time to recover, but she's the same girl you knew before." Carlos said.

Sarah frowned. "Not the same… She doesn't even remember me."

"She has amnesia. She can't remember anything since she was eight or nine... But that doesn't make her a different person…" Carlos said.

"She acts like a different person. We really can't tell her anything?" Sarah said.

"We can't force her to remember..." Carlos replied.

"Will she though? Will she ever remember us?" Sarah asked.

"We don't know, Sarah. It could be possible...But we don't know for sure..." Carlos said.

"It's so sad..." Sarah muttered.

"She's happier... Don't you want her to be happy?" Carlos asked.

"I do… I do want her to be happy." Sarah said. "But it's still sad…"

"She's remembers when she was happier, before she lost her guardian. Before Carver hurt her..." Carlos said. "Don't you think it's better that way?"

"I... I guess."

"Try to get some rest, Sarah." Carlos said.

Sarah just gave a small nod.

* * *

Early the next morning, while the children were still asleep, the adults had gathered around for a meeting.

"What's all this about?" Russell asked.

"We have a huge issue in our group. We don't have a strategy. We don't have a leader. Everyone basically does whatever the hell they want." Vince said.

"So what's your suggestion?" Wyatt asked.

"We need a governor. We need someone to keep the kids from getting burned when they stick their hands in the fire. But it keeps happening." Vince said.

"And… in the case that the "kids" play with fire and get burned, who applies that band-aid." Bonnie asked.

"The governess." Vince said. "My whole point is we need structure. We need people to be in control."

"One person can't be in charge of everything. When that happens, things fall apart." Kenny said.

"Then we can run things like a democracy. But we actually have to work like a democracy. We can't just say we're one and not act like one." Vince said.

"Fair point." Kenny said.

"Speaking of the kids… I've been thinking, they need to know how to defend themselves." Christa said.

"They know how…" Bonnie said.

"But they're not practiced. All three of the girls need to have gun practice. Everyday…" Christa replied.

"I don't know if that's necessary…" Carlos said.

"Like it or not, that's what saves your life nowadays." Christa said. "They need to know how to shoot, how to protect themselves."

"…Well who's going to handle shooting practice?" Luke asked.

"I can." Vince offered. "Once the snow melts, I'll take them out for target practice."

"I'm going to go as well…" Carlos said.

"Alright." Vince shrugged.

"We also have to make sure that we have rules, and if someone does something wrong there should be consequences." Carlos said.

"Rules like what?" Luke asked.

"Rules like, you can't kidnap children and think that's okay." Kenny grumbled.

"I didn't kidnap the children." Luke groaned.

"Enough. If we're going to be a democracy we can't keep functioning like this. The arguing needs to stop." Vince said.

"Fine… He's obviously in denial anyway." Kenny said.

"I'm not in denial." Luke argued.

"This is what I'm talking about. We fight more than we work together." Vince huffed.

"Vince is right. And whenever we argue in front of the kids, they're hearing all of what we're saying. Our behavior is influencing the children. The way they act is an example of what we have demonstrated for them." Christa said. "I'm sure we could all easily list more cons than pros of being in this group."

"Everything's not all fine and dandy. It's a sad fact, but it's true. Life takes over and you can't take time to smell the roses." Kenny said.

"You're right, but we're at the tip of the iceberg and we're going to be a sinking ship if we don't change soon." Christa said. "We need to work together, at least for the kids' sake."

"For the kids' sake…" Kenny nodded.

The others agreed as well.

* * *

When Clementine woke up the young girl opted to stay close to Christa all morning. The girl once again helped out with the twins but stayed by her guardian's side. She seemed constantly wary around the group. She was still nervous as she didn't "know" who they were.

Christa didn't mind having the child glued to her side. She was glad the girl was back and safe and sound. Her only concern now was wanting to tell Clementine about the twins being hers. She hated the idea of her not knowing, but she didn't want to cause the girl any distress.

However, when Clementine asked her a sudden question, Christa was shocked.

"Who's Carver?" Clementine asked.

"C-Carver?" Christa nearly choked.

Clementine nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Where'd you hear that name?" Christa asked.

"In my dream. He kept saying I was pretty. But I felt a little scared of him." Clementine said.

"He…. He's a bad man, Clem. But he's dead. You don't have to worry about him." Christa said.

"Oh…. Why's he bad?" Clementine asked.

"Because he hurts people." Christa said.

"Like who?" Clementine asked.

"It doesn't matter… He's dead. He can't hurt anyone ever again." Christa replied.

"I know him? Why is he in my dreams?" Clementine asked.

"He's just a dream. Nothing more…" Christa said.

"O-Okay… I'm sorry." Clementine muttered.

"You did nothing wrong, Clem. It's okay." Christa decided to talk to Carlos about this. "Can you stay here and watch the twins for a little while?"

"Where are you going?" Clementine asked.

"Just to talk to Carlos." Christa said.

"Okay. I'll watch the twins." Clementine said.

"That's my girl." Christa slowly left the room and went to find the doctor. When she found him, she approached and said in a serious tone, "We need to talk."

"About?" Carlos asked.

"Clementine…." Christa said.

"I'm listening." The doctor replied, looking up from a notepad he was writing on.

"She…. She said she had a dream about Carver… Asked me who he was." Christa said.

Carlos looked a bit surprised. "What did you say?"

"I told her the truth. He was a bad man, but he's dead." Christa replied.

"We need to be careful how we respond to her questions." Carlos said.

"Carlos, she confused." Christa sighed. "And she's scared."

"She can't remember anything, of course she's confused." Carlos said.

"But we shouldn't be tiptoeing around the truth with her." Christa said.

"I know you want to protect her but stop being her guard for one minute and listen. She's had a lot of stress and trauma. We shouldn't try to make her remember that." Carlos replied.

"…So what now?" Christa asked.

"…Perhaps I should check on her and the twins. Let me talk to her." Carlos said.

"Okay then…"

* * *

After checking in on the twins, Carlos checked on little Clementine, changing the girl's bandages and making sure she had her medicine.

"How are you feeling, Clementine?" Carlos asked. "Are you experiencing any headaches or dizziness?"

"My head always hurts." Clementine said.

"How long does it hurt?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know. Like ten minutes or more. It feels like someone's hitting me with a rock." Clementine frowned.

"You have a pretty bad concussion." Carlos said. "Fortunately, you're not vomiting, or seizing."

"Seizing?" Clementine repeated.

"Well… sometimes when people have head injuries, they have seizures. You've had one before, so it wouldn't be the first." Carlos explained.

"But…what's a seizure?" Clementine asked.

"Uncontrollable convulsions of the body." Carlos said.

Clementine looked confused at his response.

"…A seizure is like…" Carlos trailed off, struggling to find the words to explain the complexities of neurology to a little child. "Seizure happen in different ways, it's… when you shake and can't stop."

"Like shivering?" Clementine asked.

"Not exactly… Your body shakes and you can't stop it, but it's not like shivering…" Carlos said.

"Does it hurt." The little girl asked.

"Not usually…" Carlos replied. "You've had one before. It may have been a febrile or something else…"

"What does febrile mean?" Clementine questioned.

"Caused by a fever…" Carlos said.

"I never had a seizure…." Clementine said, shaking her head.

"Actually, you have…" Christa sighed. "You have medicine for it…"

Clementine shook her head. "Mommy and daddy never gave me medicine for it."

"They didn't start until after…" Christa stopped herself.

"After what?" Clementine asked.

"Clementine," Carlos interrupted. "I want to ask you a few questions, okay."

"Umm… okay." Clementine nodded.

"How old are you?" Carlos asked.

Clementine paused. "I... I don't know..."

"How old do you think you are?" Carlos asked the girl.

"I thought I was nine, but I don't know." Clementine said.

"Do you think you're older than nine?" Christa asked.

Clementine gave a tiny nod.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Well… I got taller. And… I got these." Clementine moved her hands over her chest.

"…Right." Carlos nodded. "Are you feeling any pain anywhere? Other than your head?"

Clementine nodded. "Here…" She kept her hands over her chest.

Christa and Carlos exchanged looks.

"What kind of pain?" Carlos asked.

Clementine shrugged. "I don't know… It feels strange."

Carlos furrowed his brows. "Let me know if it still hurts tomorrow, I'll see what I can do…"

"Okay… Can I play with Sarah and Becca?" Clementine asked.

"Not yet. I have a few more questions for you." Carlos said.

"…Okay." Clementine said.

"Can you spell your name?" Carlos asked the girl.

Clementine giggled at that. "Of course I can. C-l-e-m-e-n-t-i-n-e."

"Perfect. Now can you tell me where we are?" Carlos asked.

"In a house." Clementine giggled a bit more.

"Right... Where?" Carlos asked.

"Umm… In... Not Savannah..." Clementine said.

"That's right. Do you know where we are?" Carlos questioned.

"Luke said…. In Tennessee." Clementine said.

"Correct." Carlos nodded. "You told me your mom was a doctor. Can you tell me about your mommy and daddy?"

"Mommy and daddy..." Clementine's words slowly stopped. "M-Mommy and daddy... They're in... Savannah. I… I need to go find them."

"Clem, Savannah is dangerous. There are no people there. Only walkers." Christa said.

"Mommy and daddy aren't walkers." Clementine stated.

"You can't go back to Savannah, you can barely even walk right now. And even if you could, you wouldn't find anyone alive." Christa said.

"You don't know that." Clementine huffed, crossing her arms.

"Christa…." Carlos said. However, Christa ignored him.

"You saw your parents as walkers. You told me and Omid." Christa said. "They're gone. Omid's gone, Lee's gone. Your mommy and daddy, they're gone."

"N-No! Stop lying to me." Clementine said.

"It's the truth, Clementine." Christa said.

The child quickly shook her head and covered her ears.

"Christa, just stop." Carlos spoke up.

"Clementine, listen to me." Christa gently pulled her hands from her ears. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you have to…"

"Mommy and daddy are in Savannah!" Clementine exclaimed.

"You're right. They are in Savannah, but they're not alive anymore…" Christa said.

Those words caused the girl to break, her eyes filled with tears, which rolled down her face. Her sobs only increased, and her little form shook.

"Clem…" Christa tried to hug the child, but she shifted away.

Carlos let out a sigh.

After a moment Kenny walked over with a frown. "Hey… What's wrong?"

"I… told her about her parents…" Christa said.

"Shit… Want… me to try to calm her down?" Kenny asked.

"Knock yourself out." Christa said.

Kenny just nodded before he walked over to Clementine and picked the child up. "It's alright, darlin'. It's okay…"

The child clutched to him, while her whimpers continued.

"You wanna go see Alvie…?" Kenny asked the girl.

Clementine gave a tiny nodded through her whimpers.

"You mind, Christa?" Kenny asked.

"Go ahead." Christa said.

Kenny nodded and walked off with the child in his arms.

"Was that really necessary?" Carlos sighed.

"I didn't want t to make her cry, but she deserves to know the truth. I said it before. And I stand by my opinion…" Christa said.

"I think your opinion is wrong." Carlos said.

"Then we can agree to disagree." Christa replied.

"I guess so…" Carlos replied with a sigh.

* * *

Christa sat in her room, watching the twins sleep. When she heard a knock on the door, she sighed. "Come in."

Kenny opened the door and stepped inside the room.

"Clem calmed down yet?" Christa asked Kenny with a sigh.

"Yeah… She's with Sarita…" Kenny said. "What happened."

"I told her the truth. What happened to her parents. She didn't want to hear it… And you saw her reaction." Christa said.

"…Maybe Carlos is right… I think all this might be too much for her to handle." Kenny said.

"Do you know how many questions she's asked me about the twins? And I don't know how to answer her. I don't want to make her freak out or cry, but I think she should know…" Christa said.

"I don't think she's ready to know." Kenny replied.

"She thinks their mother is dead." Christa stressed. "And what if she doesn't remember? What if she's never ready? Those twins are going to grow up, and not realize who their mother is. That's wrong."

"She's a little kid, Christa." Kenny said.

"I know. But she should still know those girls are hers." Christa said. "Clementine's little face lights up everytime she sees Crystal and Aleena, she should be able to embrace every minute she has with them. And she should know that those beautiful little girls belong to her."

"Kids grow up so fast, we should let her enjoy having her innocence back for a while…" Kenny said.

"She struggled to have those babies. She nearly died. She was determined to give those two a life, even when people tried to convince her to get rid of them. She should know her twins, and they deserve to have a mother." Christa said.

"So what are you going to do?" Kenny asked.

"I'm going to tell her... When the time's right. Because I think you're right, she's not ready yet." Christa replied.

"I hope you're not making a mistake, Christa." Kenny said.

"If I am… It won't be one I regret." Christa said.

* * *

Over the course of the next day, after her physical therapy, Clementine once again started to complain of pain in her chest. Carlos tried giving the girl aspirins to help. But the complaints didn't stop. The girl whined and complain most of the day. It wasn't until that evening when Carlos called Christa.

"I think I have a solution to this problem…" Carlos said.

Christa raised a brow and asked, "What?"

Carlos didn't respond right away. "You might be opposed to this idea, but… it will benefit both her, and the twins…"

"What are you suggesting?" Christa asked.

Carlos responding by picking up the breast pump and Christa shot him a look.

"You're not serious." Christa said.

"Pumping could help with the discomfort she's feeling. The last thing we want if for her to get mastitis from engorgement…" Carlos replied.

"So what do I tell her?" Christa asked.

"Tell her that this will help with her pain. That's the truth." Carlos said.

Christa just let out a sigh.

* * *

"Christa, what's that?" Clementine asked innocently as she looked at the strange device in her guardian's hand.

"This… This is going to help make your just stop hurting…" Christa replied.

"What does it do?" Clementine asked.

"It's called a breast pump… It's going to… pump away all the pain." Christa said.

"Breast pump?" Clementine repeated.

"Right." Christa said.

Clementine eyed it warily. "Will it hurt?"

"No. It's might feel a bit strange though." Christa said.

"Okay… What do I do?" Clementine asked.

"Nothing. You just try to go to go to sleep…" Christa told her.

"Why?"

"It won't work unless you're sleeping." Christa knew that was a lie, but she didn't know how the girl would react if she was awake…

"Oh… Umm… okay Christa…" The child sounded nervous.

"It's gonna be okay, I promise." Christa said.

Clementine gave a nervous nodded and laid down, closing her eyes. She tried to force herself to sleep, but felt panic flow through her as she felt Christa lift her shirt. "D-Don't hurt me…"

"I won't. I promise you, I won't…"

"O-Okay…" The child stammered, clenching her eyes. She felt Christa's hand on her small bra and moments later she felt a strange device on her chest. She tried to ignore it and sleep as Christa told her to.

Fear and confusion filled her, the poor child wanted nothing more than to wake up safe and sound in Lee's arms. Maybe that was what allowed her to drift off. The thought in her mind that when she woke up she would have Lee by her side again, telling her everything would be alright; like she desperately needed to hear.

* * *

Later that night Christa tossed and turned trying to figure out what to do.

She debated on if telling Clementine about her past would be a mistake or not. She didn't want the poor child to have another emotional breakdown.

She wanted Clementine to have a happy, somewhat normal life... But the girl needed to know who she was.

Clementine was fast asleep, as were the twins.

Christa sighed as she looked over to the little girl. She just wished she would remember something…

* * *

The next few days went by, the snow had mostly melted. They started gun practice with the girls, who were doing a pretty good job.

However, the days were anything but calm. While Clementine had quickly grown used to the group members, and even comfortable around them. Carlos had even started the girl's physical therapy once again. But the child was still having a hard time.

The girl began having nightmares and constant headaches. She seemed more attached to Christa than ever. When she would wake up from a bad dream, she wouldn't even tell Christa what had frightened her, she would simply clutch to her guardian until she fell back to sleep.

Carlos blamed her continuous nightmares, headaches, and misguided memories on her concussion. Christa was worried about the young girl.

It didn't help that she was coming down with high fevers, which Carlos figured were due to stress. And to make matters worse it was a daily struggle getting her to take her medicine.

 _"You have to take the medicine, to keep you from having a seizure." Carlos had explained to her the first time she refused._

 _"No!" Clementine huffed._

 _"Clementine," Carlos groaned._

 _"It's icky! I don't want it!" Clementine said._

" _Clementine, listen to me. You have to take the medicine. Or you'll get really sick." Christa said._

 _Clementine looked at the woman blankly._

" _Please, Clem…" Christa pleaded._

" _Why?" Clementine asked._

" _Because I don't want you getting sick." Christa said._

" _Why do you care?" Clementine muttered._

" _What?" Christa asked a bit surprised._

" _He said no one cares about me…" Clementine said._

" _Who?" Carlos asked._

 _The girl bit her lip not giving a response._

" _Can you take your medicine please?" Christa asked. "For me?"_

"… _Okay…"_

 _And after that the child did so without protest._

Christa was glad. The next times she had to take it, she would put up a slight complaint, but took the medicine without much struggle.

Still, Christa was concerned about other things, the headaches, and complaints the child gave about her still developing breast.

Not to mention each time Christa tried to talk to Clementine about her parents, Lee, or simply piece together what she remembered, the child would stare off into space or change the subject. So Christa was more than shocked when Clementine, who had been playing with her teddy bear suddenly uttered the words, "Mommy and daddy left me..."

"What?" Christa asked.

"They went away on an airplane and left me! They hate me!" Clementine whimpered.

"No, Clem. That's not true." Christa frowned at the child's words.

"They do! They do!" Clementine exclaimed.

"No one hates you..." Christa said.

"Yes, they do! Because I'm a whore!" Clementine said.

Christa was surprised to hear that. "Where did you learn that word?"

"The bad man told me..." Clementine told her.

"Bad man…?" Christa repeated, raising a brow. "Who's the bad man?"

"The one in my nightmares..." Clementine answered.

"Can you tell me about him?" Christa asked.

"If…If I do... the bad man will hurt me more." Clementine whimpered.

"He can't… Just tell me his name… What does he do?" Christa said.

Clementine looked away not answering.

Christa knelt in front of her. "Please, Clem…"

Clementine was hesitant to answer. "His name is… Carver…" Clementine muttered. "He touches my swimsuit spots…"

Christa felt her hearts skip a beat at the child's words. "He touches you?"

The girl nodded. "He says I'm his…"

"He's a liar. You don't belong to anyone." Christa said.

"I'm scared…" Clementine sniffled.

"I know, Clem…" Christa hugged the child. "But I'm right here. No one can hurt you…"

The child didn't respond.

"Tell me what happened to your mommy and daddy?" Christa urged.

The child's lip trembled, and tears sprung into her eyes. "They… they're dead. They really are… I saw them as walkers… They left me, because I'm a whore…"

"No… You're not…" Christa said, pulled the girl closer. "They loved you… Don't ever forget that."

The girl sniffled in her guardian's embrace.

"It's going to be okay." Christa soothed the girl.

* * *

When the next morning came, despite barely getting a wink of sleep, Clementine woke up bright and early. Christa was asleep beside her. The child slowly sat up, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim room, lit by only the sunlight from the window.

Reaching over, Clementine nudged her guardian. "Christa?"

Christa groaned. "Go back to sleep, Clem."

"But it's morning." Clementine said.

"And it's too early for you to be up." Christa grumbled.

Clementine pouted at that. "But I'm not tired."

Christa didn't believe that. The child spent a majority of the night tossing and turning. When she did manage to fall asleep it would only be a couple hours before she woke up screaming from a nightmare. "Sleep." Christa said.

"But…" Clementine stopped protesting, knowing it wasn't worth it. The girl slowly grabbed her bear and hugged him close. She then carefully slid off the bed and stumbled over to the twins' crib. The twins were fast asleep. Clementine leaned over the crib to see them, grasping onto the railing. She smiled, they were so adorable.

As she continued to look at their innocent little faces she suddenly felt a pain in her head. The child couldn't help but stumble back away as the throbbing increase. She nearly lost her balance as she whimpered in pain, clutching at her head. She was grasped on to her nearby wheelchair, slowly taking a seat in it. She took a few shaky breaths, waiting for the pain to ease away.

Eventually most of the pain faded into a dull ache. The girl took a deep breath. She started to steer her wheelchair towards the door and pulled it open. She pushed the chair into the hall, pulling the door shut behind her. It was dark and quiet. She wondered if anyone was even awake.

Upon entering the living room, the girl could hear some voices and noticed Luke, Bonnie, and Wyatt by the door.

"Where are you going?" Clementine called to them.

"Oh… Hey, Clem. How'd you sleep?" Luke asked.

"Okay… Are you guys leaving?" Clementine asked.

"Going to get some supplies." Luke replied.

"Will you come back?" Clementine asked.

"Of course I will, Clem." Luke said.

"Take me! Take me too!" Clementine said.

Luke quickly shook his head. "Clem, I can't do that?"

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

"Christa would kill me." Luke said.

"No, she won't. I can help. I'm tough." Clementine replied.

"I know you are…" Luke said.

"Then let me come." Clementine said.

"Clem, no. It's dangerous." Luke refused.

"But…. But you said you know I'm tough." Clementine said.

"I do… You're the toughest kid I know. Hell, I knew that that day you stitched your own arm up." Luke said.

"What?" Clementine asked. "When?"

"Back when I first met you…" Luke explained.

Clementine raised a brow and rolled up her sleeves. Her arms were covered in various scars as if someone had cut her. She frowned, her eyes trailing to one particular scar, and suddenly that painful throbbing in her head returned. Scattered images flashed through her mind. One minute she was being attacked by a dog and the next she was being tossed to the ground by none other than Luke, who in a panic was going on about her being bit. Then she suddenly found herself at some kind of bench forcing a needle through her injured arm.

When the girl snapped back into reality she noticed Luke and Bonnie wearing concerned gazes. She was trembling in her wheelchair, eyes wide.

"Clem…What's wrong?" Luke asked, looking confused.

"It… It was a dog! It was a dog, I swear!" The child whimpered.

"What are you talking about, Clem?" Bonnie asked.

"A dog bit me! A dog bit me! Not a walker!" Clementine exclaimed, looking completely panicked.

Luke was stunned at the child's words. He pulled himself out of his shock and tried to comfort her. "Hey, kid… It's okay-"

Clementine screamed the second he touched her, and he quickly flinched back.

"Get the hell away from her!" Kenny's voice suddenly exclaimed.

The others looked to see the one-eyed man aiming a gun in Luke's direction.

"Woah, Kenny, put the gun down!" Luke said.

"Fuck that!" Kenny spat.

"This isn't necessary!" Wyatt said.

"The hell it isn't! What the fuck was he doing to her?" Kenny inquired.

"Nothing. We were just talking." Luke said, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

"Bullshit!" Kenny spat.

"It's true!" Luke said. "Clementine, tell him to put the gun down.

"K-Kenny, put it down…" Clementine stammered.

"Clem, you can't be serious. Get away from him." Kenny said.

"But...He… He's my friend." Clementine said.

"Your friend? You were just yelling at him!" Kenny said.

Clementine frowned at that. "…I'm sorry. That… That was naughty."

"You got nothing to be sorry for! This piece of shit should be the one apologizing!" Kenny said, keeping the gun aimed.

"Don't shoot him... He's my friend!" Clementine said.

"Some friend he is… He doesn't even help you with the twins. Shitty friend and shitty father all in one." Kenny grumbled.

Clementine looked confused at that statement.

"Kenny, just lower the weapon." Wyatt said.

"Screw you." Kenny snapped.

"Kenny, look at what you're doing? Are you seriously gonna shoot me?" Luke asked.

"Shut up! I don't trust you!" Kenny snapped before softening his tone. "Clem, I won't shoot him, if you come here."

"Clem... Go on... It's okay." Luke said in a gentle voice.

Clementine was still confused but moved her chair towards Kenny. As soon as the child reached his side, Kenny lowered the gun. "Stay away from her." He took hold of her wheelchair and steered her away.

"You alright, man?" Wyatt asked.

"I… Let's just get going." Luke said, voice sounding a bit shaky.

The other two nodded.

* * *

"Kenny, why were you being mean to Luke?" Clementine asked.

"I thought he was being mean to you." Kenny said.

"But… But you aimed a gun at him. You shouldn't do that." Clementine said back.

"I was trying to protect you, Clem." Kenny replied.

"And you called him a shitty daddy." Clementine said before gasping. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say a swear."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you, darling." Kenny said.

"Okay… But why did you say that?" Clementine asked.

"Because he is a shitty daddy. Think about it. Where are the twins right now?"

"In their crib. Sleeping." Clementine replied.

"Right, but in whose room?" Kenny asked.

"Christa's." Clementine answered.

"Exactly." Kenny said. "If Luke cared about them, he'd be looking after them."

"Maybe he's scared to change their diapers." Clementine said.

"You can't be scared of changing diapers when you're a parent." Kenny said.

"It's gross… But not scary. I changed the twins yesterday." Clementine told him.

"Well, babies can't help it. That's why they need their parents to take care of them." Kenny said.

"I know. Where's AJ?" Clementine asked.

"He was asleep. Wanna go see if he's awake now?" Kenny asked.

"Yes please." Clementine nodded.

"Alright." Kenny started to help the girl up, but she shook her head.

"Don't. Don't carry me." Clementine said.

"Okay… You wanna use your chair?" Kenny asked.

"No… I'll walk." Clementine said.

"You sure?" Kenny asked. He didn't know if it was a good idea.

"Uh-huh."

"Alright, want me to hold your hand?" Kenny asked.

"No thank you, I can do it by myself." Clementine said.

"Can you?" Kenny asked.

"I did it yesterday. I'll show you!" Clementine slowly pushed herself up from her chair.

She stumbled to the wall and used it to help her balance. "I just got to use the wall for help."

"That's okay, you're doing good." Kenny gave a smile.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, darling. I'm proud of you." Kenny made sure to stay close by in case the child lost her footing.

It was a slow process but eventually they made it to Kenny's and Sarita's room. Kenny walked over to AJ's crib to see the one-year old sitting up.

"Hey there, little buddy. Someone's here to see you." Kenny said.

AJ started cooing and reached towards him.

"Can I hold him?" Clementine asked.

Kenny looked to the girl, who was gripping the wall, her legs shaking a bit. "Sure you can. Once you're sitting on the couch. Don't want you dropping him."

"Oh… Okay."

"You know, we'd get there in a few seconds if you let me carry you." Kenny said.

"But you got to carry the baby." Clementine said.

"I can carry both of you." Kenny offered.

"I…"

"What's wrong? You don't think I'm strong enough?" Kenny joked.

"I think you're super strong!" Clementine said.

"And I think you're super right." Kenny smirked.

Clementine gave a small giggle. "Okay, you can carry me… On your back."

"Alright, Clem." Kenny chuckled, kneeling down so the child could climb on. She did so. He then picked up AJ from his crib.

Kenny carried them into the living room, being careful not to wake Sarita. He walked over to the couch and allowed Clementine to climb down before placing AJ in her arms. "Alright, how about you keep an eye on AJ while I make you two some food."

"Can I feed the baby?" Clementine asked.

"Sure, darling."

"What can he eat?" The child asked.

"A lot of stuff. He can eat some different kinds of fruits and veggies, soups… we just gotta be careful so he doesn't choke. I'm thinking right now you two can have some oatmeal." Kenny replied.

"Okay… I'll be extra careful when I feed him." Clementine said. "But I thought babies could only have milk."

"Alvie has about six or seven teeth so, he can eat some foods." Kenny said. "We just usually got to cut it up."

"The twins don't have teeth." Clementine said.

"They're not gonna start getting teeth for a few months. Those two are basically only two and a half months old right now…" Kenny said.

"But I thought they were five months." Clementine furrowed her brows.

"Well… Technically they are, but they were born so early, they're not developed like five-month-old, that's why they're still so small…" Kenny said. "So AJ's basically almost a good ten months older than them, when you think about it."

"Oh… Okay…" Clementine said.

"I guess it can be pretty confusing." Kenny said. "All you have to remember right now is, the twins are two and a half months old and AJ's a year. Forget the five months."

"Okay… Two months." Clementine nodded.

"That's right." Kenny said.

"They make my head hurt…" Clementine suddenly said.

"The twins?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah… I don't know why…" Clementine frowned. "When I look at them, or when I hear them cry my head starts to hurt…"

"Your head was probably hurting already…" Kenny said.

"I guess…" Clementine said.

"Now you two stay here while I go get you some food." Kenny said.

Clementine nodded.

* * *

"I swear that guy has lost his mind." Luke grumbled as they drove.

"Did he ever have it to begin with?" Bonnie huffed.

"Obviously not. I can't believe that asshole threatened me with a gun, all while insulting me in front of Clementine." Luke said.

"You know how he is…." Bonnie said.

"I do. And I'm tired of feeling like I have to sleep with one eye open." Luke said. "I just want him to stop with the threats."

"You shouldn't feel that way. We shouldn't have to tip toe around people." Bonnie said.

"Right. And I'm tired of everyone trying to keep me from my kids and then calling me a shit parent. I'm tired of all of it. This is the reason why I left in the first place." Luke said.

"But you did it wrong, dude. You put those kids in danger…" Wyatt spoke up.

"I wasn't going to leave my twins… And I wasn't going to snatch them away from their mother either." Luke said. "I think… Clementine was happier when we left."

"And what makes you think that?" Wyatt asked.

"Well… She wasn't hurting herself… or trying to. And she was a lot calmer." Luke said.

"You can't try to make yourself feel less guilty by saying she was happy. You know that kid was scared. You and Jane made a mistake when you took them from town." Wyatt said.

Luke sighed at that, but he had nothing to say in response. He knew Wyatt was right.

* * *

When Christa woke up to find the bed empty her first instinct was to panic. For a second, she couldn't move or breathe. She quickly calmed herself down and bolted upright, her gaze searching the room.

The twins were still asleep in their crib, which was a surprise at this time in the morning. Usually they would've woken up before the sun had even risen.

Christa climbed out of bed and went to search for Clementine. She sighed in relief when she found the little girl eating some oatmeal and trying to feed AJ at the same time.

"Christa!" The child beamed when she saw her.

"You startled me. I didn't know where you wandered off to." Christa said.

"She's been helping me out with Alvie." Kenny said. "The twins aren't up yet?"

"Not yet, but I know that won't last long." Christa said.

"Well, I'm here to help out when they wake up." Kenny said.

"Me too! I can help too." Clementine said.

"I appreciate it." Christa said.

"Carver says they're his…" Clementine suddenly said.

"What?" Christa said.

"He's says the babies are all his. All three of them." Clementine said. "But I told him the twins are Luke's."

"Well, he's a liar. That asshole's dead anyway. He can't do anything." Kenny said.

"He does stuff in my dreams." Clementine said.

"What kind of stuff?" Kenny asked.

"Touch my swimsuit spots… But he's not a doctor, so that's bad…." Clementine said. "He tells me to touch myself too."

Christa frowned. "Don't listen to him. He's-"

"Naughty." Clementine finished. "I know…. I just wish he would go away…"

"He can't hurt you Clem. He's rotting in hell, where he belongs…" Christa said.

Clementine was quiet for a moment. "…You don't know that…"

"You know, Kenny and I will protect you with our lives." Christa said.

Clementine gave a tiny nod. "I… I know… I just wish Lee was here."

"…I'm sure you do." Christa said. "I'm not Lee, but I'm here for you. And I'll do everything I can to make sure you're safe. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."

"Thank you…" Clementine muttered.


	33. Chapter 33

**_Final chapter of Unravel. Thanks to everyone who read._** _**And once again, thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping look through this lengthy chapter.**_

* * *

Upon arriving at the house, after the three-hour drive, Wyatt immediately got a bad feeling. Luke and Bonnie didn't seem to feel anything was out of the ordinary.

The house was in decent shape and it was hidden among the trees, well out of sight, but Wyatt couldn't help but feel like someone had been there recently.

"This is a pretty nice place." Bonnie commented as they pulled into the driveway.

"Yeah, it is." Wyatt said. "So… you and Jane just stumbled upon it."

"Yeah. Guess we had some good luck." Luke said.

"You didn't find it even the slightest bit strange? I mean, a random house full of food, that's not something you stumble upon everyday." Wyatt said.

"Well… At first, I did, but we stayed here for a good while and no one showed up. I started thinking it was some kind of miracle." Luke replied.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Wyatt said.

"Relax Wyatt. We'll be fine." Bonnie said.

"Right. It won't take long. We'll grab the supplies and be in and out." Luke said.

Wyatt didn't buy it.

* * *

As the other group members awoke, Becca, Sarah, and Clementine began playing a board game. The two teens noticed their friend seemed tired, but when Christa had suggested the girl take a nap, she refused. Everyone knew Clementine wasn't getting much sleep with her nightmares. They were worried about her.

"I win again." Becca said.

"…You cheated!" Clementine pouted.

"Don't be mad that you lost. I'm surprised though. You used to be better at this game." Becca said.

"I told you I don't know how to play…" Clementine said.

"We used to play this all the time. Sorry isn't that hard." Becca said. "If you could just remember the rules."

"You're mean!" Clementine exclaimed. "I don't want to play anymore!"

"It's okay, Clem. Let's play something else." Sarah offered.

Clementine crossed her arms. "Not with her…"

"Oh, come on. Don't be a sore loser." Becca said.

"You're the loser…" Clementine argued.

"Then play again and I'll show you who the loser is." Becca smirked.

"I don't want to play." Clementine repeated.

"Come on, crybaby." Becca teased.

"I said no!" Clementine tossed the board.

"Girls, stop it! What's going on here?" Christa quickly came over.

"She's being mean to me." Clementine said.

"I didn't do anything." Becca stated.

Christa found that hard to believe but gave Clementine a stern look. "You didn't have to throw the board. That was unnecessary."

The child didn't respond.

"I'm talking to you, Clementine." Christa said.

"…I'm sorry." Clementine muttered.

"I know…." Christa said. "Listen, I know you're frustrated and upset, but there's a better way to deal with that."

"…How?" Clementine asked.

"You can take deep breaths." Sarah spoke up.

"Huh?" The child looked to her.

"That always helps me calm down." Sarah said.

"That's a good idea." Christa commented.

Clementine furrowed her brows, wearing a dubious look. "Deep breaths…"

"Right. Take a few deep breaths." Christa said.

"Okay…" Clementine agreed.

"Ready, set, go." Sarah said.

Clementine took a deep breath.

"Good. Let's take a few more." Christa encouraged.

The girl did so. And to her surprise she felt much calmer.

"Feel better?" Sarah asked.

Clementine gave a nod.

"See, everything's gonna be okay." Christa said.

"Thank you…" Clementine said.

* * *

Luke hadn't been exaggerating when he said there was food. There was enough there to last them months pass the winter.

"This is a shitload of food." Bonnie said.

"Told you so." Luke said.

"The group's gonna be thrilled to bits when we bring all this back." Bonnie said.

"I'm sure they will." Luke said.

"I'm surprised no one's been here..." Bonnie said.

"Me too." Luke agreed.

"Let's just get this stuff and get the hell out of here." Wyatt said.

Luke and Bonnie nodded.

They started to gather up as much supplies as they could and loaded them into the car. However, as Wyatt walked up to the driver's door, he noticed something. He knelt down to examine the tire and his face fell. "Uh… guys… We got a problem…"

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Someone slashed our fucking tire." Wyatt said.

"Fuck… What do we do now?" Luke asked.

"Either we find a spare tire, or we walk back." Wyatt said sarcastically.

"I didn't even see anyone out here." Bonnie frowned.

"Neither did I. I swore this place was abandoned." Luke said.

"Well someone clearly came through. And judging by what they did to the tire, I don't think they're friendly." Wyatt said.

"We don't know for sure that it was a person…" Bonnie said.

"I don't think the dead go around stabbing holes into tires." Wyatt huffed.

"I don't mean the walkers. Maybe we ran over something sharp or something." Bonnie replied.

"Bonnie, look at this. A person did this shit." Wyatt said.

"Maybe one of us could go back to town and get a different vehicle." Luke suggested.

Wyatt shook his head. "That's a bad idea. If someone's really out there, the last thing we want to do is split the group up."

"So… What's the plan then?" Luke asked.

"First off, we check the area. Make sure no one's around. Then we grab as much supplies as we can carry and head back to town asap. It's gonna take us a good fucking day to get back to town on foot." Wyatt said.

"Then we should start walking. Daylights a wasting." Luke said.

Wyatt and Bonnie nodded.

"At least we waited until there wasn't so much fucking snow…" Wyatt muttered with a sigh.

* * *

As the day turned into evening the group member quickly started to assume Wyatt, Luke, and Bonnie had run into some type of trouble.

"A bunch of idiots. That's what they are." Kenny huffed.

"Should we find them?" Sarita asked.

"We can't save everyone. They're putting everyone at risk…" Christa said.

"Are they going to come back, Christa?" Clementine asked looking concerned.

"We can only hope so…" Christa said.

"Luke said he would." Clementine replied.

"We'll see. Right now, it's getting late we should get to bed…" Christa said to the child.

Clementine frowned, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Clem." Christa said.

"But… He'll be in my dreams again…." Clementine told the woman. Everyone picked up on the fear in her tone.

"Who?" Vince asked.

"Carver…" Clementine said.

"He's not real, Clem. I told you. He can't hurt you." Christa said.

"I don't believe you…" Clementine said. "He already hurts me…"

"Maybe… you need a sleeping aid." Carlos said.

Clementine cringed. "More medicine?"

"It'll help you sleep." Carlos said.

"But I don't want to sleep…" Clementine said. "Not if I have to see Carver…"

"Maybe you won't see him… Can you just try to sleep?" Christa asked.

The girl shook her head. "…No."

"Clem…" Christa sighed.

"I don't want to…" Clementine said.

"How about you just lay down then. You don't have to go to sleep…" Christa said.

Clementine kept quiet for a while and Christa didn't think the girl would respond. However, the child sighed. "…Okay…"

* * *

That night Clementine laid in bed staying up for as long as possible. However, the child was too sleep deprived to stay awake, and quickly drifted off.

Christa hoped the girl would sleep through the night, but two hours into the child falling asleep, she woke up teary-eyed, complaining that Carver had hurt her…

Christa comforted the child until she calmed down. The twins were crying, having been woken by the noise. Christa turned her attention to them, eventually getting them back to sleep.

She felt exhausted herself, dealing with three children wasn't easy. With all the children calm, she went to find Carlos, decided if she wanted Clementine to get a good night of rest she was going to have to rely on those sleeping pills for now.

Carlos handed the medication over, "I should warn you. This might make her dreams… a bit more vivid."

"Better than having nightmares every night." Christa said as she took the medicine. She walked off to grab a water bottle before going back to the room Clementine was in, offering the drink and a single pill to Clementine.

"What's this?" Clementine asked.

"It'll help you sleep… Take it…" Christa said.

Clementine frowned but knew better than to protest. She took the pill and drank the water.

"Good…" Christa said. "Try to get some sleep."

"Okay... Can you lay with me?" Clementine asked.

"Of course, Clem." Christa laid down by the girl.

"Are Luke and the others okay?" Clementine questioned.

"I think so... We'll have to wait to see." Christa said.

"I hope they're lucky..." Clementine said.

"Me too..."

* * *

When morning came the group was surprised to see the others hadn't come back yet.

Fortunately, things were calm, Clementine was in a better mood, having got some sleep.

And the twins were in a good mood as well. Christa was relieved.

"They're not back yet..." Clementine suddenly muttered.

"Who?" Christa asked.

"Luke… Bonnie, and Wyatt too. They're not back…" Clementine said.

"They're probably on their way now." Christa said, though she was unsure.

"Okay. Good..." Clementine said. "Why does Leena have blonde hair and Luke doesn't?"

"She was just born that way." Christa replied.

"Did her mommy have blonde hair?" Clementine asked.

"No… She doesn't." Christa said.

"Oh... they need a mommy... I wish she was here..." Clementine said.

"Why do you say that?" Christa asked, fighting the urge to tell the girl their mommy was right here now.

Clementine paused, hesitant to speak. "...Because Luke is a shitty daddy..."

"What?" Christa was surprised to hear the foul word fall from the little girl's lips.

"I never see him with the twins... Doesn't he love them?" Clementine asked.

"He does... things are complicated." Christa said.

"Complicated, why?" Clementine asked.

"It's a long story, Clem..." Christa said.

"Oh... When he comes back, I'll teach him how to be a good daddy." Clementine said.

"How are you going to do that?" Christa asked the girl.

"Teach him how to hold them and change them. My daddy was a good daddy... The twins should have a good daddy too." Clementine said.

"Yeah… Maybe you're right…" Christa said.

* * *

It wasn't until late afternoon that the missing trio finally got back to town. They quickly called the group members for a meeting.

With the group gathered, Wyatt explained the events that had occurred during their trip.

"Are you sure someone stabbed the tire? It didn't just pop or something?" Carlos asked.

"Someone clearly stabbed it." Wyatt replied.

"And you said this house wasn't far?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. Took Jane and I a few hours before we found it." Luke said.

"Well isn't that fucking great." Kenny scoffed.

"What?" Luke asked.

"You're telling us, there's an asshole out there who likes to destroy other people's property, and he's not far from this town." Kenny said.

"They don't know where we are." Bonnie pointed out.

"This town isn't exactly hidden. They could follow your tracks back here." Kenny stated.

"You're acting paranoid. Unless they have a vehicle, they won't be finding this place." Luke said.

"Actually, I'm with Kenny. We're pretty vulnerable if another group decided to attack us. And now we're at even more of a risk." Vince said.

"We needed the supplies. You all know that." Luke said.

"Yeah, and you got it. But what good is having supplies if our safety is jeopardized." Christa spoke up.

"We're fine. You guys are overreacting." Bonnie said.

"No, you and Luke are just oblivious." Vince said.

"How are we oblivious?" Luke inquired.

"Because you two don't realize you cause more damage than good…" Vince said.

Luke's face fell at that. "I'm trying to help us…"

"Is this all the supplies?" Carlos asked.

"No… There's a load more still in the truck." Luke said.

"We brought what we could carry. Figured we could go back out to get the rest." Bonnie said.

"Did you not hear what I just said. You guys just do whatever you want and bring back trouble for the rest of us." Vince said.

"We're bringing back supplies, not trouble." Luke said.

"Sometimes the juice isn't worth the squeeze." Christa said.

"Trust me, this juice is worth it." Luke said.

Kenny shook his head. "Think about the kids for once."

"That's all I think about!" Luke said.

"You sure as hell don't act like it!" Kenny spat.

"You guys don't let me be around them!" Luke argued.

Kenny shot him a glare. "Maybe because we don't want them getting kidnapped. You and your stupid girlfriend-"

"She wasn't my girlfriend." Luke cut him off.

"Alright. Your old fuck buddy- could've gotten those kids killed! You brought two infants out in the cold to freeze!" Kenny said.

"We didn't have them in the cold. And I brought them back, didn't I?" Luke huffed.

"Yeah, you brought three kids back with fevers. One with a head injury. Father of the year." Kenny said. "If we hadn't ran into each other at that rest stop those kids would be dead! You know that."

"I already feel like a piece of shit! What do you want me to say?" Luke asked.

"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to stop being a shitbird!" Kenny snapped.

"You insulted me in front of Clem this morning. Called me a shitty dad." Luke reminded.

"You don't even worthy enough to be considered a dad right now." Kenny said.

"You know what, Kenny?" Luke started.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Fuck you." Luke said. "I'm so sick and tired of you giving me hell over every little thing."

"Then grow up, and I won't have to." Kenny replied.

Luke huffed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Carlos asked.

"No t like anyone cares." Luke said as he started to walk away.

Silence fell among the group. Christa let out a sigh.

Bonnie rubbed the back of her neck before speaking up, "So… about these supplies."

A series of sighs followed her words, some giving her exasperated looks.

"Forget the supplies, they're not worth it..." Vince said.

"Then are we done here?" Wyatt said.

"Actually, there's something else I wanted to address. We can't keep sending people out like that. People are going to die if we do. We need to be more careful." Vince said. "And I think we should have a rule, that no one leaves town unless necessary, and if you do… we don't let you back in."

"Seems fair enough." Christa said.

"Any objections?" Vince asked.

No one spoke.

"Alright then, that's settled." Carlos said.

Though Christa couldn't help but feel that nothing had truly been settled at all.

* * *

As Luke started to walk by Clementine grabbed at his shirt. "Luke, where are you going?"

"Probably to bed." Luke sighed.

"But… but you can't. You didn't even check on the twins today." Clementine said.

"…I'm not really allowed to, Clem. Christa and Kenny hardly let me be around them." Luke said.

"Why? You should help with the twins…" Clementine said.

"I want to, kiddo. But they don't trust me." Luke said.

"I trust you. Why don't they trust you?" Clementine asked releasing her grip on his shirt.

"They think I'm a bad person." Luke said.

"But you're not. Why do they think you're bad? Did you do something bad?" Clementine asked.

"Not on purpose…" Luke muttered.

"I do bad things by accident sometimes too. That doesn't make you a bad person. You just have to say sorry." Clementine said.

"Sorry doesn't fix everything, Clem." Luke replied.

"I don't understand… Do you want me to ask them if they're mad at you?" Clementine said.

"Uh… No thanks. Look, I wanna help out with the twins-"

"Then help!" Clementine interrupted. "Why won't you?"

"I told you. They don't want me around them." Luke sighed.

"But you're their daddy. That means you should be taking care of them. Christa takes care of them more than you. Even I help take care of them…" Clementine said.

"I guess you're right…"

"I am right. And if you're their daddy and their mommy's not around, then shouldn't you be the one to say who gets to be around them…" Clementine replied.

"That's…. actually, a good point." Luke said.

Clementine nodded. "So how come you let them tell you not to be around your own kids?"

"I can't answer that." Luke muttered.

"Well… you should be around them now." Clementine said.

"Where are they?" Luke asked.

"They're asleep in their crib right now. But you can still be around them. You can even hold them. I'll show you how." Clementine said.

"I think I know how." Luke chuckled.

"Oh… I can show you anyway. In case you forgot. It's probably been a long time since you held them…" Clementine said.

Luke nodded and followed after the girl. "Alright, Clem. Alright."

* * *

As he looked down at the twins he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. They were fast asleep in their crib; most likely they had already been fed and changed. He watched the twins closely, resisting the urge to pick them up, not wanting to make them cry.

Aleena was sucking on her pacifier, while Crystal had her thumb in her mouth. The twins were snuggled close together in their crib. They were still so small for their age. But the important thing is they were healthy, and they were alive. They were perfect, beautiful.

"Aren't they cute?" Clementine smiled.

"Yeah. They really are." Luke said.

"Sometimes it hurts my head to look at them, even though they're really cute. I don't know why." Clementine said.

The two didn't notice Christa enter the room until the woman asked, "What's going on here?"

"Christa! I'm showing Luke how to be a good daddy!" Clementine said.

Luke didn't know how to feel about the child's choice of words, and Christa only made him feel worse when she said.

"That's awful nice of you to teach him, Clem." Christa said.

"You aren't gonna tell me to leave?" Luke asked.

Christa shook her head. "No… Lucky for you, Clem convinced me to let you be around the twins…"

"Really?" Luke was surprised.

"As long as it's supervised." Christa added.

"…Do you think you'll ever trust me again?" Luke questioned.

"We can try to work up to that, but it's going to take a lot of patience." Christa replied.

"Christa, why do you tell Luke when he can see his kids?" Clementine asked the woman.

"Because, like you said, we have to show him how to be a good dad. And until he learns we get to tell him when he can see the twins." Christa said.

"Ohhh…. That makes sense." Clementine nodded.

"Yeah, it does." Christa said. "But I think it's time for bed now."

The girl frowned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Clem… Yes, you do." Christa said. She was used to the girl's protest when it came to bedtime.

"Okay…" Clementine said.

"That's my girl." Christa said before helping the child to the bed.

"I'll uh, come back tomorrow." Luke said heading towards the door.

"Okay, goodnight, Luke." Clementine said.

"Goodnight." Luke replied, though he had no intentions of going to sleep.

"Actually, Luke, I wanted to talk to you." Christa said.

"What about?" Luke asked.

"I want to talk to you in private…" Christa replied.

"I want to hear…" Clementine piped in.

"Clem, no… It's bedtime." Christa said.

"Why can't I hear?" The girl asked.

"Because Luke and I need to have an adult conversation." Christa simple replied.

Clementine pouted. "Okay…"

"I'll be right back." Christa said.

The child gave a nod and Christa and Luke made their way out of the room.

"What is this all about?" Luke asked.

"I'm just wondering if you regret the decisions you made…" Christa said.

"You mean taking the kids… Yeah, seeing how things turned out, I do regret it…" Luke muttered.

"I don't want to keep you from the twins, but it's really hard to trust you right now." Christa said.

"Christa-"

"Even though you say you regret taking them, I don't think you seem to realize that you did something wrong." Christa said.

"I did what I could to keep the kids safe." Luke replied.

"You're the one who put them in danger!" Christa retorted. "Luke, you need to stop acting like you're a victim here. I get things have been hard and stressful. Everyone's under stress here, but you only worsened the situation by taking three little children out there."

"I…" Luke frowned as he trailed off.

"You obviously knew you were making a mistake, or you wouldn't have come back." Christa said.

"Yeah…" Luke said. "Going with Jane was a mistake."

"Taking the kids period was a mistake." Christa corrected. "Answer this for me, if Jane hadn't been with you, how do you think things would have went?"

"…Probably about the same…" Luke admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah… I mean, if I had been out there on my own, I think the only differences would be I would've came back to town sooner and Clementine wouldn't have gotten hurt… Frankly, it felt like I was doing a lot on my own anyway… Jane wasn't much help when it came to Clementine or Crystal, she only focused on Aleena… I think she… wanted to pretend Aleena was the baby we lost…" Luke said.

"If she wasn't helping, why didn't you turn around sooner?" Christa asked.

"Because… I thought things would be better, when we found the house it seemed safe… But it was more like a nightmare than a safe haven. If we didn't have a fire going, it'd be far too cold for the kids… hell, it was cold for us…" Luke said.

"So if you hadn't been with Jane, would you have left in the first place?"

"Probably not… I wouldn't have the guts to try to make it out there with two babies and a little girl on my own. I didn't really know what I was doing when I was with Jane. We weren't prepared to take care of three kids... And when the twins came down with fevers… I was hoping if we gave them medicine they'd be fine…" Luke explained. "But I was scared… I knew Crystal and Aleena would have a hard time fighting off an illness. And knowing Aleena, had breathing issues before, I was worried how she would deal with a cold. We figured she had croup from how much she was coughing and wheezing…"

"Did you and Jane ever actually discuss what you two planned to do?" Christa asked. "Before leaving, I mean."

"Just… get them somewhere safe. Get them away from the stress…" Luke said. "Jane talked about going back to Howe's but I wasn't going to take Clem back to that place. I don't think I could handle living in that place either…"

"So in other words, you went out there without a plan." Christa pointed out. "You didn't think about the kids needing a doctor, or warm shelter. She didn't think about the fact that it was the beginning of winter and the twins are premature babies?"

"I… I didn't think about anything… I was stupid…" With each word Christa spoke, the guiltier he felt.

"Which is why it's hard to trust you… You can't just do things without thinking about the consequences, especially not with the kids…" Christa said.

"You're right… I just… I want a chance to redeem myself… I want to make things better." Luke replied.

"I won't keep you away from the twins… Upon Clementine's request to let you be around them… But you can only make so many mistakes before you run out of chances, don't make another." Christa said.

"I don't plan to…" Luke said.

"Good…"

* * *

It was probably around midnight; the house was quiet. Luke stepped into the living room, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie's voice startled him.

He quickly whipped around to see her on the couch. "What are you doing awake?"

"Couldn't sleep." Bonnie shrugged. "I'm gonna assume the same for you?"

"Pretty much."

"So where are you going? I'm sure it ain't for a midnight stroll." Bonnie said.

Luke was hesitant to respond. "I… think those supplies could really help us…"

"So what are you going to do?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm going out there and bringing the rest of the stuff back." Luke said.

"The group didn't think that was a smart idea." Bonnie said.

"I know… Which is why I'm going now. I can be back before the others wake up…" Luke replied.

"It's so late, you sure?"

"I know where to go… I'm sure…" Luke said.

"But on your own?" Bonnie frowned at that.

"Why not?"

"That's not safe, Luke." Bonnie said.

"Yeah… But maybe once I bring this stuff back everyone will stop treating me like a murderer." Luke said. "I'm trying to redeem myself."

"You're not a murderer. You're just a guy who's looking out for his kids." Bonnie said.

"I know." Luke said. "But not everyone thinks that."

"If anyone's a murderer… It's Kenny…" Bonnie huffed.

"Bonnie…"

"It's true. He doesn't even seem bothered about killing Jane…" Bonnie said.

"I don't think he should've killed her, but I don't exactly blame him for…snapping." Luke said. "Jane wasn't the person I hoped she was… The way she acted around Clem and the twins… the way she acted period, was dangerous…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… The twins, for example. She couldn't handle when they cried. And she usually got pretty rough with Clementine when she was frustrated. She'd yell or shake her. One time she left all three of the kids alone while I was out getting wood. Something bad could've happened, and I would never forgive myself." Luke said.

"I'm glad nothing bad happened…" Bonnie said.

"I can't say nothing bad happened…" Luke said. "Jane had this strange interest in Aleena. She pretty much neglected Crystal and didn't bother paying much attention to Clem either…"

"Poor kids…" Bonnie said. "I had no idea…"

"Yeah…" Luke sighed.

A brief silence fell before Bonnie said, "…I should go with you…"

"What?" Luke asked.

"I should go with you to get the supplies." Bonnie said.

"Are you sure?"

Bonnie gave a nod. "Positive."

"Alright then. Let's get a move on." Luke said.

* * *

They drove down the dark street in silence. They had a few hours of driving ahead of them. Luke just hoped they'd get back before the others woke up. They came to the agreement that he would drive there, and Bonnie would drive back.

The headlights were barely bright enough for them to see the road.

Luke's mind wanders. He keeps both hands on the steering wheel.

The wheels rumble as the drive down the gravel road.

An hour into the ride Bonnie decided to take a nap.

Luke didn't mind. He enjoyed the quiet. It allowed him to think to himself. He definitely had a lot of his mind.

* * *

"NO!" Clementine shot upright, eyes wide.

"Shh..." Christa shushed the child through the darkness. "Go back to sleep."

"C-Christa..." Clementine called in a shaky voice.

"I'm here. You had a bad dream..." Christa said.

"Y-Yeah... Ca-Carver..." Clementine stammered.

"He can't hurt you, sweetie." Christa said.

Clementine sniffled for a moment before asking, "Are we going to die?"

Christa was shocked by the sudden question. "Why would you ask that?"

"Carver said we are. He said everyone needs a real leader. And that I should be stronger because "when the sheep get out the pen, it won't last long"." Clementine said.

"Don't listen to him. We're safe here." Christa said.

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

"I promise."

"O-Okay..."

Christa pulled the child close. "Let's go back to sleep, Clem..."

"Okay, Christa..."

Clementine laid down and Christa started humming to her until she once again drifted off.

* * *

When they finally arrived back at the house, they got out of the vehicle to check the truck. It was in the very same spot as before.

"Alright. We get the stuff and go." Luke said.

Bonnie gave a nod.

The two kept their guard up, holding weapons and flashlights close as they approached the vehicle.

Luke opened the trunk of the truck and they were met with a shock.

Opening up the trunk to find a decapitated walker head inside. The severed head started wildly snapping its jaws and snarling at the two upon hearing them.

Bonnie immediately turned away, gagging.

"What the fuck… These people are fucking with us…" Luke grumbled. "You think it's some kind of warning?"

"How would they even know we would come back?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like they were hoping we would…" Luke huffed.

"What do we do now...? My skin is literally crawling." Bonnie shuddered a bit.

"Maybe these people have a camp around here…" Luke said.

"Do we really want to find out? There's only two of us... Let's just head back to town..." Bonnie replied.

Luke sighed. "I guess, you're right. Let's go."

"What do we tell the group?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing. Let's just keep this to ourselves." Luke said.

Bonnie gave a nod as they got back into the car. "Okay..."

With them both in the vehicle, Bonnie started the drive back.

Their hearts pounded throughout the ride. It didn't help that it was so dark. They were both anxious and paranoid. When they finally got back to town the headed to bed without a word. Fortunately, the group members seemed to be still asleep. That saved them from having to answer any questions of where they had been.

* * *

The next few days were pretty quiet. Luke and Bonnie hadn't mentioned the other supplies, which Christa found a bit odd. She didn't bother bringing it up though. Her focus was on Clementine and the twins. She had kept her word allowing Luke to be around the twins, which helped her as she didn't have to do everything on her own.

Luke had even brought back a couple of carseats he had found while looking around town so "they don't have to be in their crib all day", he had said.

Christa figured they would come in handy.

And thanks to the sleeping pills, Clementine was sleeping through the night, but the poor child was still haunted by nightmares.

The little girl constantly talked about her parents and other people she lost. But she still seemed convinced that Lee was alive and looking for her.

"Do you think there's a heaven?" Clementine had gone around asking people all morning

Kenny was surprised by the question when she asked him. "I think some folks like to imagine there's some place better after we die..."

"But do you think that?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know, darlin..." Kenny said. "What about you?"

"I... think I do... sometimes..." Clementine said. "Do you think it hurts to go to heaven?"

"No... I don't think it hurts. If heaven exists, I guess it'd be nice there." Kenny said.

"How do you know if you've never been there?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know for sure." Kenny said. "But if heaven exist, I think Duck and Katjaa are both there right now."

"I think so too..." Clementine said.

"...Where's all this coming from, Clem?" Christa spoke up.

"I was curious…." Clementine said. "Do you think mommy and daddy are there?"

"Of course... I think all the people we care about would be there. Your family, my family… Omid… Lee." Christa said.

"No… Not Lee…" Clementine said.

Christa gave the girl a look. "Clem…"

"Lee's not dead." Clementine said.

"Why do you say that?" Christa asked. "He's not here…"

"But I saw him." Clementine claimed.

"Where did you see him?" Christa asked.

"In a garden. He visited me there." Clementine said. "I saw him before too…"

"When?" Kenny asked.

"I don't remember when. I just remember seeing him." Clementine said.

Kenny and Christa exchanged looks at that.

* * *

"I told you the medicine would make have effect on her dreams. It's not unusual." Carlos said.

"She told me something similar, about seeing Lee after she had the twins." Christa said. As usual, she had decided to voice her concerns to the doctor of the group.

"I think that's a bit different. I believed what she went through then was an out of body experience. She was near death and her mind perceived her to be dead and then she subsequently revived." Carlos explained.

"What does that have to do with her dreams now?" Kenny asked.

"An out of body experience is almost similar to a lucid dream. They can happen due to exhaustion, sometimes they can be triggered by medication." Carlos said.

"She literally remembers seeing Lee in a garden, and she's convinced it's not a dream." Christa said.

"It's called confabulation of memories. Which means a person confuses imagined scenarios with actual memories." Carlos replied.

"But she remembers seeing Lee, the night she had the twins. She doesn't remember having the twins or anything from that night, but she remembers seeing Lee." Christa said. "Her heart wasn't even beating. She was basically dead. How can she remember that and nothing else?"

"The stopping of the heart doesn't indicate the cessation of brain function. There's evidence the neural activity can continue for up to five or more minutes after death. What someone experiences during a near death experience is impacted by their beliefs and beliefs of those around them. If Clementine saw her friend, Lee, it's because that's what she wanted to see." Carlos said.

"So these dreams she's having… you'd consider them normal…?" Christa asked.

"Not normal, but nothing to be concerned about…" Carlos said.

"What about the nightmares?" Kenny asked.

"There's not much we can do for them… Except hope they stop soon." Carlos said.

* * *

Except they didn't stop, they only grew worse.

The girl constantly had nightmares. She would wake up shouting and crying. She threw tantrums that came over her like fits. Christa was worried.

It had gotten to the point where she would wake up night after night, drenched in sweat.

Her constant nightmares caused confusion which elicited frustration. There were days the girl would simply cry that she was "naughty" without knowing what she had even done.

The girl refused to take any sleeping medication, Carlos suggested they just crush it into her food. Luke protested, still bothered by the recent experience with Jane. His protest were ignored as Christa and Carlos knew it was important for Clementine to get sleep and that the little girl would try to stay awake as long as she could.

The more the girl slept, when she could sleep, the worse her nightmare became. They were more and more vivid, and Clementine was terrified. She would fight her way awake, thrashing, kicking, screaming, to the point where the group members were nervous. The little girl was so scared to close her eyes even for a few minutes. All the stress was affecting the girl's behavior and she quickly began acting out. She had tantrums that came over her like fits for the slightest things, the girl couldn't play a simple board game with her friends without getting into some kind of argument with Becca. Some days she would refuse to leave her room and would cover in a corner clutching to Promise for hours, claiming Carver would find her if she left and Promise could protect her.

Christa tried to convince the others to tell the young girl about her past, to explain why she was having those nightmares, but Carlos would tell her it was a bad idea.

Out of the blue the child started asking sexual questions, on some occasions Christa would catch the child touching herself and would have to tell the girl to do it in private. When the girl was scolded for doing something inappropriate she would completely break down and explain how Carver said it made her a good girl.

Christa noticed the girl had become withdrawn once more, when Clementine had been nine, she had never seen the girl act like that. Everyone had thought that without her memory the girl's depression would fade away, but those dreams were causing her mood to crash right back down to where it once had been.

The child became self-conscious and was often scared to get in trouble. If anyone scolded or corrected her for something, she would apologize and call herself naughty, despite the adults telling her she wasn't.

And when Christa thought things couldn't get any worse, Clementine had started hurting herself. She would catch the girl digging her nails into her skin or pulling at her hair whenever the child was frustrated or upset. When Christa asked her why she was hurting herself, Clementine had told her it felt "good".

Christa had explained to the girl that it wasn't good to hurt herself and the child quickly apologized and promised not to do it anymore.

That promise was broken the next day when Christa found the little girl clutching to a knife that she had picked up during dinner. Christa managed to get the weapon from the girl before she had the change to hurt herself.

Christa told the girl she was disappointed, and Clementine responded by begging her guardian not to hate her before saying words that broke Christa's heart, "I think I hate myself…"

Everyone took action to prevent the girl from harming herself. No one seemed to know how to deal her behavior, apart from just watching her and making sure she did not harm herself.

Christa hoped if she just stayed positive, things would get better.

* * *

Clementine hadn't been the only one having nightmares. Luke would knock on the door pretty much every night just to check on the twins. Christa noticed he often seemed panicked, but he wouldn't ever say why. He would just tell her not to worry about him, that he just wanted to see the twins.

"What's going on?" Christa confronted Luke one morning.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"How come you've been so anxious lately?" Christa questioned.

"You noticed?"

"Of course I did."

"I... I've just been having bad dreams." Luke said honestly.

"What about?" Christa asked.

"People we lost. Nick... Jane... My own kid... I just feel useless. I could've did more..." Luke said.

Christa sighed. "Luke, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Her words shocked him. "Sorry for myself-"

"Yes. Just accept the reality, that you can't save everyone." Christa said. "I know it's hard, but it's true…"

Luke frowned. "I know... But those dreams aren't the worse... I keep having this one dream where we're back at the house..."

"And?"

"...Aleena's not breathing, and I'm trying to do CPR, but it's not working... Then I wake up..." Luke said. "I have to check on the twins everytime I wake up just to know they're okay..."

"Aleena's fine. Crystal too. They're alright..." Christa said.

"I know... I just... I really fucked up." Luke said.

"Yeah, you did... But things are going better now… What matters is they're safe." Christa said.

"You're right."

"Now get back to bed and try not to knock on the door in the middle of the night. It takes forever to get these kids to sleep." Christa said.

Luke sighed but headed out of the room, he wished his nightmares would stop.

* * *

That night Luke had offered to look after the twins, so Christa could get some rest, knowing how exhausted the woman had been. Christa had been reluctant to agree, but when Kenny and Sarita promised to check in on him a few times that night, she agreed.

She just hoped Clementine would have a dreamless sleep tonight.

"Christa…"

"Yes, Clem?"

"Did… did Lee leave because I was naughty?" Clementine asked.

Christa shook her head. "No, Clem. No… You're not naughty."

"How do I know if I'm good?" Clementine asked.

"You are good. You're not naughty at all." Christa replied.

"But people get mad at me a lot…" Clementine said.

"That doesn't mean you're naughty. You're still a great kid." Christa said.

"Okay…. Thanks, Christa. Please don't leave me." Clementine said.

"I wouldn't even dream of leaving you." Christa said. "I love you, Clem."

Clementine smiled. "I love you too."

"Really?" Christa smirked. "How much?"

"To the sky and back." The child said.

"That's a lot of love." Christa said.

Clementine gave a nod.

"Alright, kiddo. Let's get some shut eye." Christa said, pulling the blanket over the girl.

"Okay… When can the twins come back?" Clementine asked.

"We'll see them tomorrow morning." Christa said as she tucked the child in. "Sleep."

"Goodnight…" Clementine said.

"Sweet dreams, Clem."

* * *

Small whimpers broke from Clementine's lips. The girl thrashed lightly on the bed. The girl found herself trapped in a nightmare, and she couldn't pull herself from it.

 _She was running. Running from something or...someone._

 _The girl glanced behind her to see what was chasing her, and she came face to face with him..._

 _Her heart stopped, terror gripped her. She couldn't move. Her legs trembled, feeling too weak to support her._

 _"C-Christa..." She called, hoping the woman would come help her._

 _"No one can help you. You're mine, honey."_

 _"N-No!"_

 _"You're mine. You and those twins."_

 _"NO!" Clementine cried._

Christa was awoken to whimpering and cries beside her. The woman quickly sat up and turned her attention to Clementine. She could hardly see the girl's small figure through the darkness of the room, but she knew the girl was having a nightmare.

Christa reached over and after a couple attempts managed to shake the child awake and she found herself pulled into a hug. Clementine whimpered as she clutched to her guardian. Christa started rocking the young girl back and forth, soothing the child.

When the child finally calmed down, Christa asked, "Are you okay now?"

"...No..."

"Want to talk about it?" Christa asked the girl.

Clementine quickly shook her head. "N-No!"

"Shh... It's okay. We don't have to." Christa said.

Christa went back to rocking the little girl. Clementine stuck her thumb in her mouth, she could still feel her heart pounding. She didn't understand what that Carver guy wanted from her or the twins- The twins!

"Where are the twins?!" Clementine asked.

"They're with Luke remember?" Christa reminded.

"I want them!" The child exclaimed.

Christa was a bit surprised by that.

"Carver wants to take Luke's babies. I want to protect them. Promise can help me." Clementine said.

Christa sighed, realizing Clementine hadn't remembered the twins were hers. "Carver can't do anything, sweetie." It was amazing to Christa, how Clementine still had a protective instinct over the twins, even if she didn't know they were hers.

"He said-"

"He's a liar..." Christa said. "Come on, let's change these clothes..."

"I don't want to take my clothes off! Carver will hurt me!" Clementine whimpered.

"I won't let anyone hurt you." Christa said. "You trust me, right?"

Clementine bit her lip. She was still hesitant.

After much coaxing, Christa convinced the girl to change her clothes into some fresh ones. With the girl, out of her sweat drench clothes Christa helps the child back into bed, but Clementine refused to sleep.

"What can I do to help you fall asleep?" Christa asked.

"I want to sleep near the twins…" Clementine said in a small voice.

"What?"

"I want their crib near me…" Clementine replied.

"Are you sure?" Christa asked.

Clementine nodded. "Please…"

"…Okay, Clem."

"Thank you."

Christa gave a nod. "Can you stay here so I can go get them."

"Yes… Promise will protect me. He said so…" Clementine said.

"Alright…" Christa left the girl and went to get the twins.

Luke was a bit disappointed when Christa told him Clementine want the twins back in the room, but he didn't want to keep them from their mother, even if she didn't know she was their mother.

He moved the crib back into the room, with Kenny's help and placed the twins inside.

After that, Clementine quickly fell asleep. Christa hoped she could final get some rest.

* * *

A loud crash echoed through the night, disturbing the sleep of the entire group.

Clementine shot upright in bed. "C-Christa, what's going on?"

"I don't know, stay here." Christa said.

Clementine gave a tiny nod.

Christa rushed out of the room to see the others gathering around, looking worried.

"What the fuck was that?" Kenny asked.

"No clue." Luke said.

"It sounds like it came from outside."

"Uh, dad…" Sarah called.

Carlos looked to the sixteen-year-old who was standing by the window. He made his way over to the girl and looked out the window, seeing smoke.

"What's wrong?" Vince asked.

"We have a huge issue." Carlos said. "Looks like there's some kind of fire out there."

The others exchanged looks.

"Fuck…" Russell muttered.

* * *

Carlos, Christa, Kenny, and Sarita, quickly decided to gather the children into the living room, while the other adults headed outside to investigate where the smoke was coming from.

"What's going on?" Becca asked.

"We don't know yet…" Christa said.

"I'm scared…" Sarah said to her father.

"Don't be, everything's going to be alright." Carlos said, hugging the girl.

Clementine frowned, sticking her thumb in her mouth, and clutching to Promise with her other hand.

The twins were whimpering from the basinet Christa had placed them in.

"I don't want to die…" Clementine suddenly said.

"No one's going to die, just calm down." Kenny said.

"How do you know?" Clementine asked.

"I just do. Trust me, darlin'…" Kenny said.

Clementine looked to him, before saying, "O-Okay… I trust-"

Before Clementine could get the rest of her sentence out, the sound of gunfire echoed through the air.

* * *

The other group members had rushed toward the gate, using narrow beams of flashlights to allow them to see.

The smell of smoke was strong and there was a yellow glow against a building, flames boiling up. They noticed a truck sitting outside of the gate and a couple of men. Upon seeing them, the men aimed their weapons toward the group members.

They must've started the fire by throwing some sort of fire bomb through the window.

"Don't shoot. I just want to talk." Vince said.

"Hold your fire." The leader ordered to his men. "Funny how you want to talk with a weapon in your hand."

"Well, considering two of your men have their guns aimed at me, I feel safer holding it." Vince replied.

"Fair point. Lower them." The leader said to him men.

One of the men started to protest. "But-"

"Now." The leader said.

The men slowly did as he said and lowered their guns.

"Pretty, ain't it?" The man motioned to the slowly burning building.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Russell suddenly inquired. "Who are you people?"

"We thought you assholes would never come out to play." "We just decided to do the same shit you do, come onto someone else's property and fuck shit up."

"What are you talking about?"

"You folks must have memory loss." "Does a house full of supplies ring a bell? You assholes took off with a bunch of it."

The group's eyes widened.

"We… We didn't know that was yours. It was just abandoned." Luke said.

"Stored, not abandoned." One of the men said.

"We didn't take it all anyway…" Bonnie muttered.

Vince shot her a look, hoping she wouldn't say anything else to piss these guys off.

"You think that earns you a pass?! You're still fucking thieves!" The leader hissed.

"Whoa, we weren't trying to steal from anyone!" Luke said.

"So you just thought someone left that stuff lying around for you to take?" The leader inquired.

"No… I…" Luke trailed off.

"You what?" The leader scoffed. "We had one of our guys go to take inventory a couple weeks back, he thought stuff was missing. But I told him, he probably miscounted that shit. Come back a few days later and see you assholes stealing our stuff!"

"We had no idea that stuff was yours…" Wyatt said.

"You knew it wasn't yours though!" The leader growled.

"We needed supplies, we weren't thinking about who it belonged to." Bonnie said.

"And that mistake is gonna cost you." One of the other men said.

"Look, dude, we can figure something out." Wyatt said.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" The leader asked.

"We'll think of something." Wyatt said.

"Well, think long and hard. Stealing from us once was bad enough, but then two of your people were dumb enough to try to come back for more, made it real easy tracking you folks down." The leader replied.

Luke and Bonnie seemed to fidget nervously. The others shot them looks.

"So, we can make things simple. You folks play nice and hand over you supplies, otherwise we'll just have to take them." The leader said to them.

"Like hell… That's not happening." Russell said.

"It's not a request." Was the leader's response.

"We're not giving you anything. Go somewhere else and find a handout!" Russell snapped.

"You got a smart mouth, boy." One of the men said.

"We have kids here. If you think we're just gonna hand over our supplies, you're out of your damn mind." Russell said.

"Russell, take it easy…" Vince said.

"No, fuck these guys." Russell huffed.

"I tried to be nice, but I don't like being disrespected." The leader raised his weapon. "Who cares if you have kids, a lot of people have or had kids at some point. Doesn't make you special."

"Put the gun down, man." Vince said.

"Or what?" The leader asked.

"Just put it down, we don't want any trouble." Vince said.

"The supplies, now." The leader said.

"Go to hell!" Russell hissed.

"Wrong answer." The leader suddenly signaled to the others who raised their guns. The group members did the same, Vince however didn't hesitate to shoot the two men, aiming the weapons.

Those shots were enough to start a war, suddenly the trucked crashed through the gate. The group took the moment of distract to rush for cover behind a couple building but ended up getting split up.

The dire situation worsened when Luke noticed the leader holding something. His eyes widened in horror as he realized it was some kind of grenade. As the bomb was tossed it released a vaper of tear gas.

A chorus of coughs echoed around them, but their attention was quickly grabbed by a familiar snarling sound of walkers. They noticed the attacking group had opened the back of the truck and unleashed walkers into town.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck… What are we gonna do?" Russell huffed.

"We need to get back to the house. We gotta get everyone the fuck out of here." Vince said.

Russell gave a nod. "Let's move…"

* * *

Luke felt sick to his stomach, realization quickly dawned on him that this was his fault. He put everyone at risk again. Why couldn't he seem to do anything right?

Why did people always seem to die around him?

The town was in complete and utter chaos and the worse part was the fact that he had drug the group into the middle of all this. He had put Clementine and his twin daughters at risk yet again. And after he had promised himself not to make any more mistakes. Everytime he felt as if he was helping, or doing the right thing, the consequences turned out to be dire and awful.

How the hell were they going to get out of this one?

* * *

Her heart pounding as Bonnie noticed several walkers around them. These men didn't even seem to care that the undead were attacking their own people. Gunfire echoed around them, and she wondered what the fuck those people had been thinking when they released a group of walkers into a town full of people.

This town had been safe. They had been there for months, and now they were going to lose everything just like that.

"Wyatt, we gotta do something! W-What's the plan?!" Bonnie asked in a panicked voice.

"F-Fuck… I don't know…" Wyatt muttered.

"We can't just sit here!"

"I know that, Bonnie…" Wyatt said. "We… We gotta fight back…"

"You think we have a chance?" Bonnie asked.

"We're going to have to find out…" Wyatt said. "How many bullets do you have?"

"In general, or just in the gun?" Bonnie asked.

"Both." Wyatt said.

"Six in the gun, I think-"

"You think?" Wyatt raised a brow. "Count them."

"What?"

"Count them." Wyatt repeated.

"I'm pretty sure-"

"Count them." Wyatt said once more. "If you're short a bullet it could make a different between us getting out of this alive."

"...I'll check." Bonnie said.

"Good." Wyatt replied.

Bonnie checked the gun. "Yeah. Six rounds. You?"

Wyatt check his as well. "I got a five shot. And five extra rounds in the spare."

"I got a five-round magazine in my pocket." Bonnie said.

Wyatt was glad that they had enough ammunition among the group that each of them carried a full clip and a spare, sometimes two. "Okay, so we got twenty-one shots between us. Any other weapons on you?"

"I have this." Bonnie pulled a knife from her pocket.

"Good. You're gonna need it."

* * *

The noise had the group in a panic. The twins were both crying and AJ had started whimpering as well.

Clementine was no longer sucking her thumb, but instead had her hands over her ears. Promise had fallen from her grip.

Carlos was trying to console Sarah who was in the middle of having a panic attack.

"Shit… We gotta help them." Becca said as she looked out the window.

"Becca, you can't go out there." Christa said. "Let them handle it."

"It doesn't sound like it's being handled well." Becca argued.

"But there's nothing you can do. You'll only get yourself killed." Christa said

"We can't just sit around like babies!" Becca said.

"Well, considering we have three babies here, we need to stay here and make sure they're safe." Kenny said.

"Everyone, calm down." Sarita pleaded as she tried to rock AJ.

"We need to pack up some supplies, now." Christa said.

"Don't tell me you want to leave this town behind…." Kenny said.

"It's not about what we want. We're obviously under attack. Our only options are to fight back or be forcefully evicted. And the odds are stacked against us. If we don't want anyone to end up dead, we need to get the hell out of here." Christa said.

Sarita bit her lip. She wanted to protest, but she knew the other woman was right.

"Damn it!" Kenny huffed. "Alright… let's just… start packing… In case you're right."

* * *

Russell and Vince did their best to save their bullets, instead using knifes to kill the walkers as they tried to force their way back to the house.

The manor seemed like a fortress, the windows and doors were secure, so the two were sure the others would be okay, but they needed to get everyone out of town.

"Where are we going to go?" Russell asked.

"We'll meet at Parker's Run." Vince replied. That was their go to spot.

Russell nodded. "Got it..."

The two continued running towards the mansion. When they arrived they quickly rushed in through the door, out of breath and panicked.

"We gotta get out of here! Now!" Vince said.

"What's going on out there?" Carlos asked.

"We're being attacked!" Russell replied.

"Obviously!" Kenny grumbled. "By who?"

"There's a damn horde out there! The gates been destroyed, some assholes purposely brought these walkers to us." Vince said. "Those things are all over town..."

Sarah shuddered.

"All over town?" Carlos asked.

"Yes... We need to get out of here." Vince said.

"You're kidding, right? We can't run!" Becca said. "We should fight back!"

"No… We get the fuck out of here!" Vince said. "Kenny, Carlos, you two get two cars and bring it around." Vince said. "Everyone grab what supplies you can a be ready to move!"

"What are you going to do?" Sarita asked.

"We'll go back and hold the walkers off." Russell said.

"Got it." Carlos said.

"Dad, no!" Sarah pleaded.

"It's okay. I'll be right back." Carlos said. "Stay here."

With that they rushed outside.

Christa rushed to gather up their supplies.

"Kids, stay away from the windows!" Sarita said called to the children. AJ started whimpering when Sarita put him down and went to help Christa get the supplies.

* * *

Shot after shot was fired, walkers were dropping one by one. Yet there were still so many that Wyatt felt like they weren't making any progress. The walkers just kept coming.

They made sure to keep close to cover as a series of shots flew through the air. Bullets chunked holes into the wall.

Twenty-one shots weren't going to be enough… Especially when it was hard to see their targets through the smoke, some shots were just missing.

Bonnie resorted to using her knife against their attackers. Ramming the blade into walker's heads as they got close.

However, the woman suddenly yelled in pain in her side. She tried to return fire but struggled to. Wyatt quickly comes to her aid, shooting her attacker.

"Fuck… Did you get hit?"

"I…I think so…" Bonnie said. "I'm can…still try to fight though…"

"Just take it easy… You're gonna be okay…" Wyatt said, as he pulled her to cover. "We just gotta get to the others."

* * *

Becca looked to her two friends who see them both looking fearful. The twins and AJ's cries didn't help the situation. "Okay, you two snap out of this!" She said to Clementine and Sarah. "You're acting like idiots."

"You're the idiot!" Clementine exclaimed.

"Just shut up. You acting like scardy cats isn't going to help us!" Becca went over to the bassinet and picked up the twins, she brought them over to Clementine. "Here, calm them down."

"H-How?" Clementine asked, looking at her friend with confusion.

"Figure it out." Becca said before picking up the girl's teddy bear.

"G-Give him back! I… I need him." Clementine whined.

"Shut up!" Becca huffed and handed the stuffed toy to AJ. "I'll give him back later."

Clementine just whimpered a bit.

"Okay, now we need a plan…"

"W-What kind of plan?" Sarah stammered.

Becca's response was to pull her gun from its hostler. "We gotta go help them."

* * *

Sarita furrowed her brows as she watched Christa quickly fill bag after bag with supplies. The woman quickly took note of the fact that Christa was only packing things specifically for herself, Clementine, or the twins.

"What's your plan?" Sarita suddenly asked.

Christa didn't even pause in her packing as she asked in an emotionless tone, "What do you mean?"

"I've just noticed what you've been packing…" Sarita said.

"Supplies…" Christa shrugged.

"Right… Supplies that would only profit, Clementine, or the twins…" Sarita noted. "Care to explain?"

"I'm doing what's best for Clementine." Christa simply said.

"What?"

"I'm done with groups for good. I said it before and I should've stuck to that. Things always end the same…" Christa said.

"So… what's your plan?" Sarita asked.

"To get the hell away from here." Christa said. "Regardless of if we win this fight or not…"

"What about everyone else? You can't just take the children…" Sarita protested.

"I can, and I will." Christa said.

"Luke and Jane made that mistake once." Sarita said.

"I'm not Luke or Jane. I've looked after Clem before. I know how to take care of the kids." Christa replied.

"Why are you doing this now?" Sarita asked.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time… This was just the final straw. If we stick around, someone's going to end up dead. And I'm going to make sure Clem and the twins aren't up for that running." Christa said.

"Kenny will be devastated if you take them away…" Sarita frowned.

"You and Kenny, I can work with… Hell, you two have been a big help when it comes to the kids, but everyone else… with the exception of Vince… they do more harm than good." Christa said. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but it just does. Clementine's been my main priority since Lee died, and now the twins are on that pedestal as well…"

"Everyone only wants to do what's best for her…" Sarita said.

"All these secrets everyone's been keeping, aren't what's best for her…" Christa said. "She has nightmares, every night. She needs to be brought back to the reality of the world."

Sarita frowned. "She knows the world is bad out there…"

"She doesn't understand how bad. I'm going to teach her how to survive, because whether she remembers her past or not, that's what's important…" Christa said, she paused.

"And…?" Sarita urged her to continue.

"And… I'm going to tell her she was raped and explain to her what it means. She's having these nightmares, and she can't understand them. That's not right… And lastly… I'm going to tell her the twins are hers." Christa said.

Sarita frowned at that, not knowing how to respond. She couldn't help but feel that was a bad idea.

* * *

Carlos and Kenny had decided to split up, figuring it'd be best to find two vehicles.

The two men were both shocked by the chaos going on in town. What had brought the people here, and why were they attacking them.

Despite being slowed down by a couple walkers, Kenny quickly managed to find a car. He got inside and started back to the house, hoping Carlos was having as much luck in finding another vehicle.

* * *

Fear gripped Sarah as she found herself unable to breath.

"Sarah, are you okay?" Clementine asked the teen. "Do you want to hold Promise?"

"N-No…" Sarah got out. "I… I need my dad…"

"He'll be back. It's okay." Clementine said.

Sarah wanted to believe her, but the longer she waited for her father's return the more nervous she felt. All the noise outside didn't help. The gun shots, the walkers. It sounded like a warzone out there.

"We should go help them." Becca said.

"W-What?" Sarah asked.

"You got your gun, don't you?" Becca asked.

"Y-Yes…" Sarah confirmed.

"Well, we should go help take out these walkers." Becca said. "We were here first. We can't let anyone come here and force us out of town."

"I want to help too!" Clementine said.

Becca shot her a look. "Clem, you can't even walk."

"Yes, I can." Clementine argued.

"I mean without the wall." Becca scoffed. "You'll just slow us down. You don't even have a weapon."

"I know how to shoot!" Clementine said.

"But the only time you can hold a gun is when there's an adult with you. Everyone's too scared you'll put the gun to your head and pull the damn trigger." Becca said.

Clementine frowned. "I wouldn't do that…"

"You expect me to just take your word." Becca asked before turning to Sarah. "You coming or not?"

"Dad said to stay here." Sarah said.

"Your dad is babying you!" Becca snapped. "He's out there right now and he could be in trouble. Don't you want to help him?"

"He… He's not in trouble!" Sarah argued.

"How do you know? He's been out there for a while. Don't you hear those gunshots?" Becca hissed. "You're just too much of a coward to help!"

"That… That's not true!" Sarah said, covering her ears.

"Is too!" Becca said.

"S-Stop fighting !" Clementine exclaimed.

Becca turned away from the two. "Whatever. Stay here. Be a baby. I'm going to go do something useful."

"Becca!" Clementine called.

Becca ignored the younger girl as she walked out.

Clementine and Sarah exchanged worried looks.

Christa and Sarita soon came back with supplies and a few moments later Kenny rushed back inside. "Let's go! Get the kids in the car!" Kenny ordered to Christa and Sarita.

The order was well timed as a second later a window was shattered and some kind of bomb was thrown inside. Coughs filled the air.

Christa quickly got Aleena from the basinet and placed her in her carseat before doing the same with Aleena. After buckling the infants in she rushed them outside while Kenny helped Clementine and Sarita carried AJ, the little boy was still holding Clementine's teddy bear.

"Kenny-" Clementine called.

"Not now, darlin'. We gotta move!" Kenny cut the child off.

The trio rushed the children to the car.

Sarita placed AJ into the backseat, allowing Clementine to hold the child in her lap, while Christa placed the twins on either side of the little girl. Sarita got rushed back inside, not realizing AJ had dropped Clementine's bear. Kenny lifted Clementine from her chair and placed her inside.

"Becca's gone!" Clementine announced.

"What do you mean gone?" Kenny asked.

"She went to help the others…." Clementine told him.

"Fuck… Why didn't you say anything?" Kenny demanded.

"I tried you wouldn't listen…." The child said.

Kenny huffed. "I'm gonna go get her."

"Wait! Where's Pro-"

Kenny shut the door before the child could finish her sentence.

With the kids inside the vehicle they were back to grab the supplies with Kenny's help and loaded it into the vehicle.

Kenny folded Clementine's wheelchair and forced it into the trunk. Christa turned to Sarah and tried to get the teen into the car.

Sarah refused. She could feel her eyes burn from the smoke around them. She called to Kenny, "Where's my dad?!"

"He'll have to catch up." Kenny said.

"I… I need him!" Sarah raced pass him.

"Sarah!" Kenny exclaimed.

The teen rushed off searching for her father. Kenny swore.

"Kenny, we got to keep moving or we'll end up getting trapped here!" Christa said.

"Do it then." Kenny said.

"What?" Sarita gasped.

"Leave me behind." Kenny said. "Just get the kids out of here."

Sarita quickly shook her head. "Kenny n-no... What about the others? What about you?"

"Don't worry about me!" Kenny said.

"Kenny, this is crazy." Christa sighed.

"Just keep the kids safe!" Kenny said. "Go now!"

Christa didn't bother to protest. "Come on." She said to Sarita.

Sarita hesitated but nodded. "Be careful, Kenny."

"I will." Kenny said.

The two women made their way into the car.

Kenny wasted no more time, breaking into a run he headed in the direction Sarah had taken off in.

He had to make sure they got out of this alive. He quickly lost sight of the teen among the smoke. He tried calling to her but got no response. He swore under his breath, he needed to find her and Becca before something bad happened.

* * *

After avoiding several close calls from walkers, he managed to find a truck.

When Carlos had found the truck, he quickly drove it back to the house. With all the gunfire going on, it was hard to not panic.

He needed to make sure Sarah was okay.

When he got back to the house he rushed inside, only to find no one was around and the house was filled with smoke. "Sarah?" He called out.

There was no response.

He tried to look around for his daughter but couldn't find the girl.

The doctor quickly raced outside, searching for his daughter. He felt sick to his stomach. He needed to find his child, to make sure she was okay.

* * *

Sarah did her best not to inhale the smoke, the teen coughed every so often. The town was in pandemonium. Terror echoed around.

She slowly dropped to the ground, figuring if she stayed low she would be safer. She crawled along the ground, beneath the smoke and bullets. She was terrified. She could feel the heat and smoke in her lungs, leaving little room for air. Her eyes stung and tears threatened to spilled down her face. She needed her dad. He was the one who always took care of her.

She needed him now.

The teen pulled herself to her feet as she spotted Becca. "W-Wait!" She called, rushing to catch up.

* * *

The choking and blinding fumes outside caught Becca off guard. She could hardly see, but she could hear voices yelling, unfamiliar voices. They were clearly under attack by more than walkers.

She did her best to shoot at the walkers she spotted. She found herself coughing uncontrollably.

Becca was shocked and scared, the whole town was thrown into a frenzy of smoke, gunshots, and screams. And the teen quickly realized she had got out there without a plan. She didn't know what to do.

Keeping a shaky grip on her gun, Becca tried to think of something. Hearing all the gunshots, muffled yells, and shouted orders the girl quickly realized she was in real danger.

"W-Wait!" A familiar voice stammered.

It only took a moment for Becca to realize that Sarah was calling to her.

"Fuck… Quiet down!" Becca hissed, she didn't want her drawing any unwanted attention.

"W-What do we do?" Sarah stammered.

"We… We gotta find the others…" Becca answered.

"M-My dad?"

"Sure." Becca nodded. "Come on!"

* * *

Luke's body acted on its own. He didn't know how many zombies or people he had killed, but his skin and clothes were sticky from blood. He gritted his teeth, as he kept his machete close

His mind was spinning. All he could think about was the twins. He needed to get back to them. To get them out of there.

This was all his fault. Luke raised his gun as he heard a close by snarl, however his hand froze on the trigger. He couldn't bring himself to pull it. His eyes grew wide and he stammered as he noticed a familiar person, "N-Nick?"

He was frozen, face to face with his friend. How?

In reality, he was only a few feet away from a walker, dressed in camo pants and a hat. The creature was slowly inching closer.

His heart clenched as he looked at the creature. "N-Nick… I'm so sorry… I-"

Before he got another word out he heard a young voice call his name, "Luke! Luke, over here!"

Luke turned to see who was calling to him just as a gunshot rang out first hitting the nearby walker, but it was quickly followed by a second shot.

* * *

The two teens stumbled through the darkness, maneuvering pass walkers, both choking on the smoke they'd inhaled. Shots continued, but they couldn't tell if they were hitting anyone... They hoped their group members were okay.

When the two caught sight of someone, Becca quickly called to the figure. "Luke! Luke, over here!"

Luke turned to look at them just as a gunshot rang out, quickly followed by a second one which sped in his direction.

"NO!" Becca yelled out, just as Luke was hit with the bullet and tumbled to the ground.

Sarah gasped, whimpering as she saw Luke slump to the ground. She was too scared to move. Her eyes transfixed on Luke's motionless form.

Becca's mouth dropped, she found herself quivering. Everything was in chaos. She tried to call for help but smoke made her erupt into a coughing fit.

The man who had shot Luke, turned toward the two girls, but before he could do anything, he was shot in the head.

"Get to the car!" Vince said. "We'll hold them off!"

"What about Luke? He got shot!" Becca said. "And I can't find Wyatt or Bonnie.

"Russell and I will deal with it. Find Kenny and the others." Vince ordered.

"But-"

"Go!" Vince ordered.

Sarah seemed frozen, Becca had expected it. She grabbed Sarah's arm. "We gotta make a run for it. Come on!"

"M-My dad… He can help Luke!" Sarah said.

"We don't even know where he is!" Becca said.

"Maybe I can help-"

"Don't be stupid, if we go down there they'll kill us too." Becca said.

"We got to do something!" Sarah said, despite being terrified.

"We can't! We gotta keep moving!" Becca replied. "Let's go!"

They two teens broke into a run.

They could hear the crackling of burning fire and gunshots around them, but they kept running.

Suddenly Sarah lost her footing, tumbling to the ground, nearly bringing Becca with her.

"Sarah, get up!" Becca exclaimed.

The other teen trembled as she clutched at her leg. "M-My leg…"

"Shit… Did you break it or something?" Becca asked.

"I… I think I just scraped it. It's bleeding." Sarah said.

Becca checked the girl's leg, it was bleeding, but they couldn't let that slow them down. "Just-" Becca was cut off when suddenly she felt herself get grabbed from behind. A hand flew over her mouth. She struggled to break free.

"Don't scream." Becca quickly bit the man's hand, stomping on his foot. His grip loosened, and she broke away, aiming her gun at him and pulling the trigger before he could make another move.

"Come on, we gotta go…" Pulling Sarah up the two, continued on. Becca did her best to help the other teen.

"T-The church is safe!" Sarah stammered.

"We don't know that!" Becca argued cringing as the smoke filled her nostrils.

When the teens caught sight of Bonnie and Wyatt, Becca thought to call to them, but decided against it. The two appeared to be cornered by several walkers, it was too risky. And as much as Becca wanted to help, she knew if she tried they'd probably just end up getting hurt.

Becca continued to help Sarah forward, hoping to find the car soon.

When she spotted a figure approaching she nearly shot however, the person spoke between coughs, "Sarah? B-Becca? What are you doing out here?"

"Dad!" Sarah quickly hugged her father.

Becca tried to answer but couldn't bring herself too.

Carlos quickly fired at an approaching walker. "We need to get back to the others! Stay close to me!"

Becca gave a nod. They started walking, navigating around walkers.

Carlos kept Sarah close and they started walking. It wasn't long before the truck came into sight. They kept walking until Carlos suddenly felt a shot in the back of his shoulder. He yelled in pain but felt something grab him. Walkers grabbed him, biting into his neck.

Sarah screamed. "DADDY!"

The walkers seemed to turn their attention onto them. Becca raised her gun to fire, but it jammed.

The two teens backed up, eyes wide in fear. However, before the walkers could get too close a shot at the walker before it could grab the girls. "I'll hold them off! RUN!" Vince yelled.

With an influx of adrenaline, the two took off running. Overcome with emotion, Sarah burst into uncontrollable weeping.

Becca grabbed the teen's arm and tugged her along. "Sarah-"

Sarah suddenly broke from her grip and dashed off. The teen bumped into Kenny, who gripped her shoulders. "It's alright. We gotta get the fuck out of here."

"What about the others?" Becca asked.

"They'll meet us at Parker's Run." Kenny said.

Becca nodded. Kenny rushed the two toward a truck and opened the door, ushering them inside, despite protest from Sarah.

He slammed the door and was upon to get in, when he noticed a familiar teddy bear on the ground. He rushed over and picked it up, however, upon turning he found himself face to face with the barrel of a gun.

Kenny lunged forward and grabbed for the gun. He started to wrestle the weapon from the man's hand. He kicked him in the groin, causing him to fall to his knees, letting go of the gun. Kenny aimed the gun and fired.

The man rushed to the driver's seat and hoped inside.

Sarah screamed as a walker banged on the front windshield, attempting to shatter the glass.

"Fuck it." Kenny pressed the gas to the floor. The car sped forward, sending the zombie tumbling over.

Becca held her breath while Sarah did the opposite, took several deep breaths.

Without looking back, Kenny floored it out of there.

* * *

Russell and Vince had pulled Luke behind cover.

Vince checked Luke's pulse. There was the barest flutter of a pulse. "He's still alive."

"What do we do?"

"Put pressure on his wound." Vince said. "I'm going to go help Wyatt and Bonnie."

Russell gave a nod, doing as he said. They needed to take care of this wound, otherwise Luke wouldn't make it.

* * *

Still bleeding from the wound to her side, Bonnie searched desperately for an opening, but it was no use, they were cornered like rabbits in a cage.

They were doing their best to fight back, valiantly, despite being out numbered. Guns were fired until bullets were gone, reloaded, then fired again.

Bonnie sighed in relief when Vince came over helping to kill some of the remaining walkers. Still, the dead kept coming. She didn't see how they were going to get out of this.

When they managed to wipe out the walkers surrounding them, they were quickly surrounded be living person, aiming guns, forcing them to surrender.

"Surprised you folks are still alive." The leader said. "Round up any of the survivors…"

Wyatt frowned at that. They were fucked.

* * *

With Sarita's direction, Christa eventually made it to Parker's run. Christa slowed the car to a stop as they arrived at the meet up spot.

Clementine was in the back seat, with little AJ buckled beside her and Crystal in her lap, while Sarita sat in the passenger's seat holding Aleena.

"I'm going to check the area..." Christa said. "Make sure it's safe."

"N-No!" Clementine protested, voice full of fear. It made Christa hesitate.

"I have to... I'll be right back. I promise." Christa reassured the girl.

Clementine whimpered. "Pl-Please don't go…"

"Clem, sweetie. It's okay." Sarita said. "I'm here…"

"O-Okay…"

Christa sighed and got out the car to go look around. She was glad they had enough supplies to last them for a good while, but she wondered if any of the group members would show up. Things had been bad back in town.

She noticed a museum, the windows weren't safe, but they could stay there temporarily. At least to rest for the night.

She headed into the museum and checked inside. She quickly noticed some busted windows and glass on the ground. She sighed, as long as she kept the children away from the glass they should be fine.

The woman headed back outside and checked around to find a deck. Fortunately, no one was up there. With all being clear, she headed back out to the car.

"We're good. We can station ourselves in the museum for the night…" Christa said.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Sarita asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Christa raised a brow.

Sarita sighed. "Well, this is the spot where Jane… tried to push Clem…"

"Push me?" Clementine repeated.

"Seriously?" Christa huffed. "That deck, right?"

"Yeah…" Sarita nodded.

"Who's Jane? Why did she try to push me?" Clementine asked.

"She's was a crazy person…" Christa said. "All that matters is that you're safe now. And she can't hurt you. No one can."

"O-Okay… Thanks…." Clementine stammered.

"Come on… Let's get to that museum and get some rest…" Christa said.

"I need Promise… I need him!" Clementine said.

"I'm sorry, Clem… We must've dropped him…" Sarita told the child with a frown. She felt bad, knowing how much the child loved that bear.

"We…. We lost everything…" Clementine frowned, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Everyone's gone…. It's not good…"

"No, it's not… But we're going to be alright… Trust me…" Christa said.

* * *

They set up in the museum, making sure the children were fed and warm. Christa knew this wasn't the best shelter, but it would do for the night.

The children were now fast asleep. Clementine had spent nearly forty minutes refusing to sleep and going on about how she needed Promise, how he could protect them. Christa was glad the girl finally tuckered herself out.

"Do you think Kenny's okay?" Sarita asked.

"I don't know…."

"I… I can't believe everything is gone… Just like that." Sarita said, heart aching at the thought.

"We should've saw it coming. Groups always fall apart…" Christa replied.

"What do we do now?" Sarita asked.

"Well, I know I talked about leaving, but considering it's just us now, we might as well stick together. Find Wellington…" Christa said.

"I thought you were done with groups." Sarita said.

"If Wellington's really like they say it is, big walls, food… We need to be there." Christa said. "It's the best chance we have for the kids."

"Do you think we'll be able to find it?" Sarita asked.

"We have to try." Christa said. "It's the best chance we have. Realistically speaking, there's no way the two of us will be able to survive with three babies and a little girl. Not out here…"

"We should wait… Wait and see if the others show up."

"…Right now, I just want to do what's best for Clem and the twins. Like I'm sure you want to do what's best for AJ…" Christa said.

"Of course I do… But we can't forget about the others… They could be on their way now…" Sarita replied.

Christa disagreed. "I find that hard to believe… We need to focus on what's important. Making sure us and the kids are safe…"

Sarita frowned. "You don't think Kenny made it…"

"…If they're not here by morning, we might as well assume the worse…." Christa said.

Sarita felt her heart clench.

"We should get some rest." Christa said. "Before the kids wake up anyway…."

Sarita gave a nod, but she was sure she wouldn't be sleeping.

* * *

When Kenny arrived to Parker's run, the sun had just started to rise.

They had stopped for a couple hours to try to rest.

Sarah was in a state of shock and hadn't said a word since her father's death. She wouldn't speak a word and would freak out if anyone touched her.

Now both teens were fast asleep. Kenny slowly stopped the vehicle and looked around the area. It looked clear. And he quickly noticed the car Christa had drove off in.

"Sarah, Becca," He called to the teens.

After a couple moments of calling to them Becca stirred. "Where are we?"

"The meet up spot." Kenny said.

Becca looked out the window. "Anyone here?"

"Looks like Christa and Sarita made it… I don't see anyone else." Kenny replied.

Becca huffed and nudged Sarah awake.

Sarah quickly sat upright, "Daddy?!"

"Relax. We're at Parker's Run." Becca said.

"Come on, let's go see where the others are." Kenny said, opening the door and taking Clementine's teddy bear into his hands.

They got out the vehicle and started to the museum. The door hand something wedged through it, preventing it from being opened.

It took a few knocks before Christa finally came and answered the door. "Holy shit… You made it…"

"Yeah… We got real lucky." Kenny said.

"You're not the only ones." Christa said letting them in.

* * *

After gathering around for a meal, the trio of adults gathered around to discuss their next course of action. Becca decided to listen in as well, the adults didn't seem to mind.

"What do we do now?" Kenny asked.

"We'll stick around for a day or two, I guess…." Christa said.

"And then what?" Kenny questioned.

"If they don't show up here, we have no choice but to move on." Christa said.

"You want to leave them?" Becca asked. "That's wrong."

"I don't want to, but we gotta do what's best for the kids. Staying here isn't safe." Christa said.

"Christa's right… It's not safe here, sweetie." Sarita said. "We can't stay forever."

"They might need help. We should go look for them." Becca said.

"It's too risky." Christa said.

"This is bullshit." Becca growled.

"What's bullshit was how the group kept beating around the bush with everything. What happened last night, I can guarantee that it could've been prevented." Christa said. "Now my focus is on Clem and the twins. We're heading to Wellington, and if anyone has a problem with it, then take your problem and go wherever the hell you want…"

Becca frowned but said nothing. She wanted to argue, but she felt absolutely defeated. They had just lost everything. She didn't want to be split up from Clementine and the twins too. She hoped Wellington was out there.

* * *

The day had been quiet. Everyone seemed to be grieving, or in a state of sadness. Christa noticed Sarah was distant she felt bad for the teen especially after Becca explained what happened to Carlos.

Christa knew they needed to find shelter as fast as possible, but for some reason she kept recalling what Sarita had mentioned about the deck. How Jane had almost pushed Clementine down. It gave Christa an idea, perhaps she could stir up a memory.

Christa waited until night fell and everyone had gone to sleep before gently waking Clementine. The girl had been curled up on her side, clutching to Promise with her thumb in her mouth. Christa almost didn't want to wake her.

The child's eyes fluttered open and she looked confused. "What's going on?"

"I just want to show you something…" Christa said.

"Am I in trouble?" Clementine asked nervously.

"No… Don't worry." Christa helped the girl up.

"Can Promise see too?"

"Of course." Christa grabbed the bear and handed it to Clementine, then led the girl to her wheelchair. She took the girl outside, Clementine shivered at bit from the cold air. She felt a strange feeling. This seemed familiar somehow, but she didn't know what.

Christa wheeled the child towards the deck area then stopped in front of the deck. "What do you see?"

"Stairs…" The girl answered, sounding a bit confused.

"What else…?" Christa asked.

"A deck…" Clementine said.

"Do you feel anything?" Christa asked.

"Like what?"

Christa shrugged. "A memory… Anything?"

"No…"

Christa wheeled her closer. "What about now?"

"…No. Nothing."

"Alright…" Christa slowly picked the child up.

"Where are we going?" Clementine asked.

"Just up the stairs…" Christa carried the child to the top of the deck and stood by the edge.

That seemed to do the trick. Panic hit Clementine like a brick wall and she clung to her guardian. "D-Don't! Don't push me! Don't push me, please!"

Christa took a step away from the edge and hugged the child. "It's okay… It's okay, Clem."

"I don't want to jump either! I don't want to!" Clementine panicked.

"You don't have to… It's alright…" Christa said.

"I want Kenny…" The child whimpered.

"You're safe… I would never drop you… I promise…" Christa said. "Nothing can hurt you anymore… I got you."

Clementine clutched to her guardian, whimpering. She could remember a woman, Jane trying to push her down those stairs and Kenny saving her. Yet she couldn't recall why the woman wanted to push her… She must've been naughty…

* * *

When the group didn't return the next day, Christa stuck to her word, she got Clementine and the twins into a vehicle and Sarita and Kenny knew there was no stopping her. They didn't want her going on her own, so they agreed to go as well.

They drove the two vehicles until it became dark, then stopped for the night, letting the kids sleep and trying to catch some rest as well.

Christa noticed Clementine seemed restless. "Everything okay, Clem?"

"I can't sleep…" The child responded in a quiet voice.

"I figured…" Christa said. "Want to come up front and sit with me?"

Clementine nodded. "By myself…"

"Alright. I'm sure you can pull yourself up here…" Christa said. She knew the girl wanted to be more independent.

Clementine gripped the seats for leverage but managed to pull her way to the front seat.

"Good job." Christa praised.

"Thanks." The girl smiled. "Christa…"

"Yes?"

"…Where are we going?" Clementine asked.

"To Wellington." Christa answered.

"Do you think it's safe there?"

"Safer than out here…" Christa said.

"I hope so…" Clementine said.

"Me too…"

Silence fell for a good minute. Christa noticed the girl fidgeting and noted that Clementine seemed anxious.

"What's wrong?" Christa asked.

Clementine paused. "Is…Is Lee really gone?"

"Is that what you've been thinking about?" Christa asked.

Clementine nodded. "I keep dreaming about him…"

Christa frowned and nodded. "Yes… Yes…He is, Clem?"

"How…?" Clementine asked. "You said he got bit, how did that happen?"

Christa was hesitant to tell the child.

"Please… Tell me…" Clementine said.

"He… he was looking for you… Got bit trying to save you." Christa explained.

"Save me from what?" Clementine asked.

"You were kidnapped by some guy… Some man you were talking to on your walkie-talkie…" Christa said.

Clementine seemed shocked to hear that. "I don't remember… I don't remember being kidnapped."

Christa sighed and knelt to the child's level. "You can't remember anything because you hit your head, okay...Do you understand, sweetie?"

"N-No..." Clementine frowned. "That man said he would help me find my parents. Why would he kidnap me?"

"Because he was crazy, Clem…" Christa said. "He kidnapped you and Lee got bit trying to save you…"

"And… And then he asked me to shoot him…" Clementine suddenly recalled. "I keep seeing it in my dreams…"

"What?"

"He asked me to shoot him!" Clementine cried.

"You… You remember that?" Christa gasped.

Clementine gave a nod. "I… I do…"

Christa frowned and placed the bowls on the table. She walked over to the child and knelt in front of her, taking her little hands in her own. "What else do you remember…?"

Clementine sniffled a bit. "My head hurts…"

"Okay…" Christa said. "That's okay… Do you remember anything else?"

"L-Like what?"

"Anything… Maybe something about the twins?" Christa asked.

Clementine glanced to the back where the twins were sleep in their carseats.

"T-They're Luke's babies…. Luke should be here with his babies…" Clementine said. "We should stay here until he gets here. Until everyone gets here."

"It's been two days, Clem… They're not coming…" Christa said.

"You don't know that…" Clementine muttered.

"Yes, I do. And so do you." Christa replied.

Clementine sulked. "We can't just take Luke's babies away…"

"I wish things could be different, but at least they still have their mommy…" Christa responded.

"They don't have their mommy… She's dead." Clementine said.

"She's not dead, Clem." Christa told the girl.

Clementine furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

"She's not dead. She's right here."

"Wh-Where?"

After a brief paused Christa sighed, "…You're their mommy."

Clementine's eyes widened. She found herself lost for words for a moment. "H-How…?" She stammered.

"Remember that man from your dreams?" Christa asked.

Clementine nodded, wearing a glum expression. "Carver… I hate him…."

"Yeah… I know… Remember how I said he was a bad man?" Christa asked.

"Yeah. He's naughty."

"Right… He did a lot of bad things. And he hurt people. He hurt you." Christa explained.

"How… did he hurt me?" Clementine asked.

"Well… The same way he does in your dreams…" Christa said.

"Made me a woman?" The girl questioned.

"That's not what he did…. What he did to you is called rape. That man molested and raped you." Christa said.

"…What's rape?"

Christa paused thinking of how to answer. She didn't want to ignore the child's inquiry. "When someone forces a person to have sex against their will."

"Oh... What's sex?" Clementine asked.

Christa began to graphically explain sex to the child.

Clementine cringed and asked. "So... Carver did sex on me?"

"Carver raped you..." Christa corrected.

"D-Did Luke do rape on me too?" Clementine asked.

"Carver made you two have sex." Christa said. "So yes, it was still rape, but it was Carver's fault…"

Clementine felt a couple tears fall from her cheeks. "W-Why?"

"Because he's a sick fuck." Christa said.

"S-Swear..." The child managed to get out through her tears.

Christa sighed and pulled the child into a hug.

"Wh-Why would he do that to me?! Did I… Did I do something naughty to him?" Clementine asked, feeling more tears fall.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. He was just a sick person." Christa said. "People who do that… People who do that to anyone against their will are sick. And people who do that to children should die. They're called pedophiles."

"Pedophiles…. What am I?" The girl asked.

"You're a little girl who deserved better. A child who should've been saved." Christa said.

"But no one saved me… Why? Did they think I deserved it?" Clementine asked.

"Of course not. They were just stupid." Christa said. "But you're safe now."

The girl lowered her head. "You keep saying that… but I don't feel safe."

"I know… But once we get to Wellington-"

"If we get to Wellington!" Clementine exclaimed. "We don't know if it's real. And even if it is, we were just at a town and you know how that ended up. How do we know Wellington won't be the same?"

"We don't…."

"Then why even go?" Clementine asked.

"Because we can't take the risk of staying out here. If it's safe there, that's where we have to go." Christa said.

"For what? For it to all fall apart? I don't want to go through that again." Clementine said.

"Neither do I." Christa said. "But we do know how to take care of ourselves. We know how to protect ourselves."

"How can I do that? I'm stuck in a wheelchair…" Clementine frowned.

"You need to count your blessings, kid. There are some people that don't have legs to begin with. Just because yours aren't working right now, doesn't mean you can't defend yourself. You're smart, you know how to take care of yourself. Or you did. And I'm going to make sure that you remember how."

"I… I want Lee…."

"Well, Lee's not here. You know what happened to him. It's a cruel world out there, Clementine. And if you don't learn now… You're gonna be dead too." Christa said in a harsh tone.

"I don't want to die…" Clementine whimpered.

"Then toughen up!" Christa snapped.

Clementine flinched. "I'm sorry… Don't be mad at me."

Christa sighed and calmed her voice. "I'm not mad. I just want you to understand." Christa said. "I just need you to be strong…"

"I try… But I'm scared too." Clementine said.

"And it's okay to be scared. You can be scared and strong at the same time." Christa said. "You think I don't get scared sometimes?"

"Do you?"

"Of course I do." Christa said.

"But… You never act like you're scared." Clementine muttered.

"Clem, I get scared more than you think. You're just not supposed to show it. You save that for when you're alone. When people see you're scared, that's when they take advantage." Christa said.

"Like… Carver?"

"Just like him…"

"Okay… I'll be strong. I don't want anyone else to die…" Clementine replied.

"People die, no matter how strong you are. That's just how life is…." Christa told the girl.

"That's not fair." Clementine said.

"Life's not fair…." Christa said.

Clementine glance back to the twins' carseats. "…What about the twins…?"

"What do you mean?" Christa asked.

"If I'm…their mommy, I'm supposed to protect them…" Clementine said. "

"And you will. We both will…" Christa said.

"With my life… Like Lee did for me…" Clementine added.

"We're going to make sure things don't go the way they did for Lee… I'll teach you how to protect them and yourself. And when they get older, we'll teach them how to survive too."

"Okay…" Clementine said. "…Why didn't anyone tell me...? Why didn't they tell me I was a mommy?"

"They didn't know how to, Clem. They were scared to tell you…" Christa said.

"Why? Don't you think I should've known?" Clementine asked.

"Which is why I'm telling you now…" Christa said.

"You could've told me before." Clementine muttered. "What would my parents say? What would Lee say?"

"They'd be proud of you." Christa said.

Clementine shook her head. "I'm not proud of myself. How could anyone be proud of me?"

"I'm proud of you." Christa told her.

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Really."

"Do… Do you think the twins still love me?" Clementine wondered.

"They'd never stop loving you. Just like you never stopped loving them…" Christa replied.

"I hope so… Because I'll always love them." Clementine said. "I'm really their mommy?"

"Yeah… Yeah, Clem. You are…."

Clementine frowned a sniffled. "I don't think I'm ready to be a mom. I'm just a kid…"

"I know you're scared, but you're not alone. I'll help you every step of the way…" Christa reassured.

"Why would you want me? I'm dirty! I'm a dirty whore!" She couldn't shake the memories that were spinning in her head of the violent sexual abuse. If she had to remember anything why did it have to be him? Where were the good memories?

"No, Clem. No, you're not… Don't ever think that…" Christa said. "You're the strongest person I know…"

"I'm a horrible person… I couldn't even remember my kids…" Clementine said.

Christa felt powerless as the child sobbed. "It's not your fault…You not a horrible person. You're a great little girl, and everything's gonna be okay now…"

"P-Promise you won't leave me…." Clementine pleaded.

"I couldn't even imagine leaving you, Clem…" Christa pulled the girl closer as the child cried. The poor girl was hurting. Though she didn't remember everything, she knew what Carver had did to her was enough to make her break. Christa could do nothing but hold her and tell her, "Everything's going to be okay."

Christa didn't know if things would be okay. All she knew was that she would protect Clementine and the twins with her life.


	34. Author's Note

Thanks again everyone for reading.

A third part in this series has been released. It's called Stained. Check it out.


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